Google+ A Tangled Rope: Robot Butlers and their Pitfalls

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Robot Butlers and their Pitfalls

It was not that much of a surprise, in the end, even though she did utilise the tin opener in a manner not foreseen by its manufacturer, at least not according to the limitations of its warranty. But, as I said at the time, it did stop it... in the end.

That is, of course, the problem with revolutionary new technology, it does have a habit of being used, often in cases like this where the device has – or develops – artificial intelligence, in a way not envisaged by the manufacturers.

Of course, we were all in favour of robot butlers, at leas initially. But, as with the Jet packs, our initial enthusiasm eventually clouded o'er with doubt.

Especially when the robot butlers began to take an interest in popular culture.

Yes, the butler did do it, often in some rather inventive and – sometimes – gruesome ways. After all, the whole idea, at least as the artificially-intelligent butlers saw it was for them to almost get away with it.

As for What the Butler Saw, well YouTube just couldn't cope with the flood of revealing situations automatically uploaded by robot butlers as they peered through keyholes and around indiscreetly-ajar doors.

Neither could the divorce courts cope, either and the redundancies amongst private detectives went way beyond previous records.

Still, though, as the wife said some things are beyond forgiveness, and her robot butler should never have tried to introduce Wodehousian quips when she was busy trying to watch her favourite TV programme about the shenanigans between servants and the landed gentry in the early 20th century.

Still, as I stood there contemplating the smouldering wreckage of what had been our Jeeves 3000, I couldn't help feeling a little relived that my good wife had so comprehensively destroyed it before it had managed to upload its latest surreptitious video to the internet.

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