Could it be?
Will robots ever evolve to the point of possessing human emotions, like the one in Spielberg's "A.I."? Some experts say it's more a question of when rather than if.
By Peter Mucha
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
This weekend, when Steven Spielberg's A.I.: Artificial Intelligence opens, moviegoers may wonder when scientists are likely to create a smart, emotional robot like the one played by Haley Joel Osment.
That day may be surprisingly near.
By the middle of this century, some experts predict, androids could be our mental equals - and on their way to becoming the planet's dominant creatures.
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And robots are becoming more and more adept at human behavior.
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Last fall Hasbro introduced a $100 doll called My Real Baby that senses touch and motion, changes its facial expressions, and seems to learn. It was developed by iRobot, a Massachusetts company founded by MIT's Brooks.
In February, two Japanese companies, Kokoro Co. and CAI, demonstrated that their S DOLL robot could hold a conversation; it understands speech and talks back, complete with gestures.
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