SAI-4

Now that we know a bit about AI, let’s take a look at this from the aspect of interplanetary flight and colonization.

Creating programs capable of identifying objects, creating vocal speech, providing lightning fast computational speeds and mimicking a human brain is OK, but pursuing machine sentience is something that we really don’t need in space. (for the foreseeable future at least)

If a machine is capable of providing services the human brain is incapable of (such as computational speed) then it has a purpose and provides a service. If the machine were to become self aware, then what service other than speed could our technology provide. The root programs will still be human constructs and human in nature.

It can be argued that in interplanetary surveys and pre-human operations a sentient robot could be useful as we will be putting the robot in harms way, not the human. It can also be argued that if we create a sentient robot, it will be necessary to either class it as a new species or as a slave. Either decision means that by law, we lose the right to endanger it without consent.

As hard as we try to create machines capable of replacing or assisting humans in some manner, there are times this is just not possible. A case in point:

In one of my earliest careers I worked for a company that built large computer systems designed to control massive manufacturing systems, in particular, pulp and paper mills. My position required that I interact closely with the electrical engineers and design team and their one complaint was that they could not figure out how to control the entire process by computers.

In a paper mill there is someone called a back tender. The position required years of experience in a mill operation and the engineers could not figure out how to replace that one individual with a computer.

For reference I am including the job description: 

"BACK TENDER, PAPER MACHINE" 

Job Description:

1) Operates drier, calender, and winding sections of fourdrinier or cylinder-type papermaking machines to produce paper and wind it onto rolls: Threads continuous sheet of paper through carrier, drier, and calender rolls by hand.

2) Observes charts and gauges, and turns valves to adjust steam pressure, temperature of drier and calender rolls, and hot air blowing into continuous sheet.

3) Turns wheels to adjust tension on rolls and control running speed of sheet.  

4) Inspects sheet for defects, such as dirt, slime spots, holes, and wrinkles, and marks defective portions for removal at rewinding section.

5) Directs workers engaged in winding, slitting, weighing, wrapping, and stenciling paper rolls.

6) May operate size tub or spray paper with steam, water, or dyes to obtain specified finish.

7) May operate drying section only to produce rolls or sheets of dry pulp and be designated Back Tender, Pulp Drier.

8) May be designated according to type of machine as Back Tender, Cylinder; Back Tender, Fourdrinier.

The company was able to computerize every aspect of this job description except one. The back tender was required to “thwack” (hitting / taping) the paper rolls with a board during the roll process to determine if the paper was up to specs.

That ‘thwacking” process was the final measure of a paper rolls quality, and only an experienced human was able to do that job.

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