Robots: Our New Helpers or Our New Overlords? http://www.carsonblock.com librarylandtech@gmail.com @CarsonBlock
Hello! • What I believe • What I do • Who I am
Our purpose today is to look at how robots & automation are impacting our lives & work; how they are (and may be) used in libraries; and explore strategic perspectives!
As we go, I encourage you to be selfish (to serve the greater good of your community). Great libraries are hyper-local.
We’ll also be looking at this topic from a 30,000 foot level - much different from other trainings I’ve done in Texas.
Want Links? Please email me at: librarylandtech@gmail.com Subject: TSLAC Robots Submit questions via the chat Tweet? Use your personal publishing power! • #TSLAC-robots • @carsonblock
We are surrounded by AI, robots and automation!
At SXSW Interactive, I saw AI, robots and automation everywhere. From cute….
….still cute….
….to kind of cute n’ creepy.
So, how did we get here?
Remember when … Image by William Wallace Denslow, 1899 (from the “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by Frank Baum)
Portrayals of robots in popular media have evolved since the days of the Tin Man …
I Robot & Asimov's laws The Three Laws, quoted as being from the fictional "Handbook of Robotics, 56th Edition, 2058 A.D.", are: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.
Entertainment media reflects our current ambiguous feelings about robots and automation
Our thinking today (and for the time being) can be guided by headlines from real life …
In the process, we’ll try to sort out the issues …
Feel surrounded yet?
Why should we learn about Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation and Robots?
Why learn about AI, Robots and Automation? • Our digital world is changing quickly – and expectations for automated services are increasing. • Generally, libraries are not ready to meet these expectations. • Some of these changes are entering into some services traditionally held by libraries.
Two more media references …
By Cryteria - Own work, CC BY 3.0
How many have already met your new robot friend ? (Alexa - a Virtual Digital Assistant was just in time for the 2016 holidays)
But of course …
This space is moving quickly …
This space is moving quickly …
This space is moving quickly …
This space is moving quickly …
… and competition is fierce.
Library Competition Alert
But, like Google, is “close” close enough for the public?
Siri still tops use (but dropping) …
Did you see the “ gotcha ?” The most used is the least accurate. For now.
Sidebar: What makes Robots, AI and Automation tick?
What happened in Q3 2016 that brought real life robots back into the public eye?
…and tragedy in 2018
How do robots & automation work?
Data Mining and Patterns
At it’s simplest, it’s an if/then situation (think “flowchart”)
This is one way you can program your home Internet of Things (IoT) Devices
If This Then That examples
If This Then That examples More ideas: https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2424077,00.asp
From there it can get complicated …
What is Artificial Intelligence? (AI)
What is Machine Learning? “Machine Learning is branch of artificial intelligence that allows computer systems to learn directly from examples, data and experience.” – from Machine Learning: the power and promise of computers that learn by example (The Royal Society, UK)
Machine Learning • Starts with *lots* of data (got it) • Requires *lots* of processing power (got it) • Instead of “Step by Step” computing, machine learning programs are designed to tell a computer *how* to solve a problem. • The *how* involves pattern recognition that lead to decisions (by the computer)
Obligatory Pet Graphic – wanna play? https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/machine-learning/what-is-machine-learning- infographic/
Here’s a “simple” example from MIT – self-assembling robots (2013) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aZbJS6LZbs
And today …
A self-driving car has lots of these measures, pattern recognition and decisions happening at the same time …
Chatbots
Chatbots gone bad BBC – How Automation Will Affect You
Sidebar: The Uncanny Valley “The concept of the uncanny valley suggests that humanoid objects which appear almost, but not exactly, like real human beings elicit uncanny, or strangely familiar, feelings of eeriness and revulsion in observers. Valley denotes a dip in the human observer's affinity for the replica, a relation that otherwise increases with the replica's human likeness.” Image Source: Half-pass - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
What is your reaction to this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SRYFI3Nf-o
Again - why learn about AI, Robots and Automation? • Our digital world is changing quickly – and expectations for automated services are increasing. • Generally, libraries are not ready to meet these expectations • Some of these changes are entering into some services traditionally held by libraries • And…….
AI, Robots and Automation will begin to affect the communities we serve soon – if they haven’t already.
How might robots affect the workforce?
From the Economic Innovation Group
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eP7nuZgNqU
Some service industries using robots and automation … “ Harvey Wallbanger ”
Chipotle and other ordering aps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uat8laSf7gc
Sidebar: Robots in Libraries (pre 2018)
We cant look at robots in Libraries without comparing core business systems Theirs: Based on data collection & analysis; open standards (easy to iterate); radically evolving & adapting Ours: Often hard to get data out of the system; closed/proprietary standards (hard to iterate); not changing much
ILS • Automates & integrates many business and communications processes • Mostly closed systems • Technologically long in the tooth
Holds Notification • Robo-calls • Robo-Text https://pmlib.org/dont-forget-to-return-your-library-items-with-text-alerts/
Automated Materials Handling Systems (AMH)
Storage and Retrieval of Materials
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