Dystopian future now a reality as car-makers install 'emotional' AI's into vehicles

James Vincent
The Verge
Sat, 07 Jan 2017 02:28 UTC

Bad idea installing 'emotions' in cars

Honda has teased the first image of what looks to be an ambitious new concept car — an experimental vehicle dubbed the NeuV. The automaker will be showcasing the car at CES on January 5th and says it will be automated, electric, designed for commuters, and will come equipped with artificial intelligence in the form of something called an "emotion engine."

Details are vague on what this all means, but Honda describes the emotion engine as a set of technologies that will "enable machines to artificially generate their own emotions." Will that mean some sort of in-car assistant that's cheery or grouchy depending on how much fuel there is in the tank? Or perhaps some sort of animated dashboard that gives you the stink eye when you cut someone off in traffic?

Comment: Or perhaps all that and more. Writing a computer program is one thing, but once you introduce artificial intelligence, it has the capacity to think, grow and learn beyond it's original programming - which means what AI can and will do, will eventually become unpredictable and out of human expectation and control.

Either way we're curious to find out more, as all we really know about the NeuV right now is that it looks like a futuristic take on the N-Box minivan from the company's Kei car line. Stay tuned to The Verge in January to find out more about Honda's plans direct from the CES show floor.

Comment: It's foolish and naive to not be the least bit concerned when introducing artificial intelligence into society. Current technology is growing exponentially, beyond most people's ability to keep up with, meanwhile there is no concomitant emotional and spiritual development among people in society to balance out their growing reliance and addiction to technology. With the 'millennial' generation showing themselves to potentially being the most technologically dependent, inept and incapable generation of our time, what makes anyone think introducing AI will be of any benefit - and who is thinking of the long-term implications? Dystopian futures have been shown in a number of books and movies throughout the years, and it's well-worth paying attention to and watching them again but with a different outlook, realizing that something like that might just be around the corner. For further reading:

• Elon Musk says 'With artificial intelligence we are summoning the demon'
• Stephen Hawking warns of possible dire threat to mankind from artificial intelligence
• Is everything conscious to some degree? More scientists endorsing panpsychism over materialism

And also watch:

• The Matrix
• Terminator 2: Judgement Day
• Ex Machina