Robosapiens

Right now, the cleverest robot has no more intelligence than an insect. But halfway through this century, maybe much sooner, we'll reach the "omega point," when robot brains will be smarter than humans. A few years later, a PC-size computer will have more processing power than the sum of every human brain on the planet. This program will explore the gap between the nightmare and the reality of robotics. Investigating the latest developments in the USA, Europe and Japan, this program reveals the state-of-the-art, contrasting and startling achievements of robotics with its continuing problems and failures, comparing the superficial smartness of robots with their underlying dumbness. In Japan there's fierce competition to produce humanoid robots, which will work and play alongside humans. In the US, research is concentrating on robot machines for the military and police. But the greatest technical challenge is to produce robots that can interact emotionally with humans, by speaking to us and responding to our emotions. Their designers believe that if they are to do this, the robots must have emotions of their own. But when this happens, will these robots become our slaves, or will we become theirs?