The Terminator movie (1984) (Photo by HDWallpaper.nu)
Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese thought they were safe from the cyborg assassin within the walls of the police station. Afterall, the police officer at the front desk had denied the villain entrance. “I’ll be back”, said the handsome and deadly machine. Moments later, the cyborg rammed his car into the building, killing the staff, and chasing his targets once more. The Terminator had been sent back to the past to complete a mission: kill Sarah Connor to preserve Skynet, a network of artificial intelligence who had taken over the world and wanted to exterminate humankind. In the future, Sarah’s son, John Connor, would lead a successful human resistance that destroys Skynet. The Terminator would stop at nothing to complete his mission and save Skynet.
The humanoid receptionist at Henn na Hotel in Japan speaks four languages, and her dinosaur “co-workers” roar when they are in a bad mood. — Photo by Manami Yamada
Much of the new technology we are seeing come to life today are things we have only seen in the movies or read in science fiction books. This is due to the incredible pace in which technology is progressing. Just look at the telephone timeline which has changed dramatically in just a few decades- from the candlestick telephone to the rotary dial telephone to the touch-tone telephone to the mobile “bag” phone and to the digital cellphones we use today (Wikipedia, 2024). The same fast-paced progress can be seen in artificial intelligence like robots, cars, phones, home systems, and the Internet. Just like the movie mention above, “The Terminator” (1984), artificial intelligence is “taking over the world” (without the genocide aspect, hopefully) by improving our lives through mundane tasks like robots that vacuum and mop, deliver food to tables in restaurants, check in guests at hotels and resorts, and make harvesting crops more efficient.
Robot delivering food to tables (Mikeshouts.com, 2020)
Artificial intelligence is also found in our homes and phones, making our lives easier by giving us quick responses to our questions, giving us weather, news, and traffic alerts, and even managing our lights, security alarms, thermostats, cooking appliances, and entertainment devices like television and tablets. Reading Kelly’s article, “Growing up with Alexa” (2018), my jaw dropped at the realization that my toddler also fostered a close relationship to our Alexa device and Siri on our phones. My daughter quickly learned that you could ask Alexa to play Baby Shark on repeat, much to our dismay. These devices just make our lives so much easier and convenient by letting us multitask, get ready for the day much faster, and it’s nice to have information at our fingertips in mere seconds (Terdiman, 2018).
More young children are interacting with voice assistants like Alexa. (Photo by Samantha Kelly/CNN, 2018)
Libraries can take advantage of these technological trends to improve patron experience and make library services and programs more user friendly. It would help patrons who are not tech savvy, may have limited research skills, or have disabilities that limit accessibility be able to pull tons of information and resources with a command of their voice. They could also help patrons easily digest information by providing concise answers at rapid speed or explain the material even further. This would be great for patrons who have a hard time understanding information due to dyslexia, autism, or neurodivergency. By providing access to information and resources in different formats, all patrons could enjoy learning and have a great experience, like the Prado Museum in Madrid that used 3D printing technology to create touchable art for visitors with vision disabilities (Halliday, 2015). The technology could also help libraries see what information is most in demand for their community and use that data to create personalize programs for those specific needs.
Children use a robot for assistance at the newly-opened Mohammed Bin Rashid library (MBRL) in Dubai (Photo by Albawaba, June 16, 2022).
However, these devices come with a price of limited or loss of privacy. They are connected to all your personal information and are always listening to work properly. Libraries will have to take full measures to ensure patron privacy and confidentiality. Some people are also concerned that these new devices could replace people in the workforce. While this notion is scary, I think people will still be needed to supplement in the areas where the technology lacks. Librarians are, of course, search engines with a heart. Personally, I do think the benefits outweigh the cons, and I firmly believe that technology with artificial intelligence will be embedded in every aspect of our lives. We just have to make sure we are using this technology ethically and responsibly. In the meantime, I’ll be waiting for a robot to emerge that takes care of my household chores and cooking duties like Rosie, the robot maid and housekeeper from The Jetsons show!
Rosie the Robot from The Jetsons (Photo by Screerant, 2016)
References
Halliday, A. (2015, March 9). The Prado Museum creates the first art exhibition for the visually impaired, using 3D printing. Open Culture. https://www.openculture.com/2015/03/prado-creates-first-art-exhibition-for-visually-impaired.html
Kelly, S. M. (2018, October 16). Growing up with Alexa: A child’s relationship with Amazon’s voice assistant | CNN business. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/16/tech/alexa-child-development/index.html
Terdiman, D. (2018, January 5). Here’s how people say Google Home and alexa impact their lives. Fast CompanyD. https://www.fastcompany.com/40513721/heres-how-people-say-google-home-and-alexa-impact-their-lives
Wikimedia Foundation. (2024, April 27). History of the telephone. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_telephone
Excellent examples, Marlene. I really enjoy your writing style.
It’s not just kids developing relationships with the AI. When we were training a puppy in 2022, we had Alexa set a “Puppy Time Out” timer. When it was done, she would say, “Sophie is free!” Our dog learned to release herself when she heard the words. We still use “Okay free!” as her release.