Convenient: something that is easy in a person's life.
Can something be both uncanny and convenient? Do those unnatural robo-humans fit this description? First we have to discuss what makes a humanoid robot "uncanny" as this phenomenon is seen in the uncanny valley.
Often robots in factories or the little Roomba vacuum that scampers around on your floor are not feared and sometimes seen as cute. People even begin to have feelings toward the robot. Even robots that resemble a human structure (2 legs, 2 arms, a head, maybe a face) are seen as cute, but when developers start giving them hair, flesh, and other hyper-realistic features, they begin to unease people. Could people be scared of not being able to tell the difference between a robot and a human? If we assume this was the case and we had this type of advanced technology, are people afraid of their security (mistaking a human for a robot and the robot using information about the person to harm them), are people afraid of the extinction of humanity by the rise of robots, or are people just plain weirded out that their common belief that humanity is unique an special could be replicated with ease?
It is easy to see the uncanny side of these realistic human robots, but does the uncanny side out do their convenient side? We imagine these robots could be used to help with chores, go to the store for us, help raise our children, cook for us, etc., but would people feel comfortable letting these robots inside our home? If we let Roombas wonder our halls, why couldn't we let a human like robot in our homes clean our floors? Imagine if you came home to a clean house, dinner on the table, maybe the dogs walked or the cat litter changed, we would have way more time on our hands. These robots would be a convenience in our lives. In the show "Be Right Back" from season 2, episode 1 of Black Mirror, people had no problems or moral issues with the other types of technology: finger print signatures, updated cell phones, touch less computers, etc. These forms of technology were designed to improve our lives, as well as the new Ash. The only difference between those objects and "new" Ash was Ash looked more human like and had more advanced software which could process external stimuli to a degree ( but can Siri and google do the same thing?). In the end, both everyday technology and this new humanoid technology are all created to fulfill a purpose; in "Be Right Back" it was to help someone grieve, even though it only made grieving harder.
Would people put their comfort on the line for these robots? I believe that some people would, and when enough people have gotten these human robots, more and more people will feel comfortable with them. On the flip side, more and more anxieties would shadow each robot. There have been numerous studies about the effects of technology, primarily cell phones, have on our mental health which usually come out negative. What health issues could robots bring in their baggage? Anxiety? Paranoia? Depression? loneliness? Disconnection from humanity and society?
As these robots become more and more uncommon, regardless of how uncanny they might be, I think the valley will shrink for these robots. For example, in the 21st century we see mullets as lame (also, we sometimes judge people who have mullets as creepy or weird); however, if many men were to get mullets, people would see them as cool and "trendy". If more people would buy the robots, regardless of how creepy they look, we would adapt to their looks and find them less creepy. Of course, we would have to adjust to their mechanically human actions as well, but in time, we would become use to them.
Is giving up our uncomfortable feelings against these robots worth their convenience? Should we be more cautious about welcoming human robots? Can the uncanny valley be explained simply like mullets?
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