Could This Robot From Star Wars Ever Exist?

What if you lived in the Star Wars universe? You’d travel by starship. Your friends would come from distant planets. And droids would be part of your everyday life.

What is a droid? In Star Wars, a droid is a special kind of robot, one that can “think” on its own and do all sorts of complicated jobs. Droids have what is known as artificial intelligence (AI), which means they can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. They can see, speak, listen, make decisions, and translate languages.

Star Wars droids operate at all levels of society. They are pilots, mechanics, surgeons, waiters, soldiers, and beloved friends. Many of the droids in Star Wars—like BB-8, C-3PO, and R2-D2—have unique and adorable personalities.

But could such droids ever exist in the real world? In some ways, they already do.

Right now, robots are building our cars, working on our farms and in our factories, and cleaning our floors. There is Google AI, an artificial intelligence that knows several languages and is nearly as smart as a 6-year-old human. NASA uses robots to help repair the International Space Station and is exploring the use of humanoid robots for space travel. And the robotics company Aldebaran recently created a robot called Pepper that is designed to read emotions and respond as a person would.

Of course, none of this technology is as sophisticated as the fictional droids of Star Wars. Compared with C-3PO, who knows more than 6 million forms of communication, Google AI is pretty basic.

But amazing strides are being made in robotics and artificial intelligence. One day, robots will likely be a big part of our lives, doing everything from driving our cars, building our homes, and growing our crops to treating diseases and providing companionship. In fact, many experts predict that in the future, every part of our society will be affected by robotics.

Will these advances be good for society? Certainly, there is something disconcerting about an artificial intelligence replacing a flesh-and-blood human being. If a robot shows empathy and concern because it was programmed to do so, is that empathy and concern real? And do we want to live in a society where we rely on robots rather than fellow humans to nurture and comfort us?

Still, robots and artificial intelligence could make our lives more convenient and enjoyable. Throughout history, automation has generally led to increased literacy, more affordable food and clothing, and longer lives. On the other hand, robots are probably going to put some people out of work. For example, a robot from Momentum Machines that can make and flip a hamburger in 10 seconds could eventually replace workers in fast-food restaurants. Researchers at Oxford University predict that 47 percent of jobs in the U.S. could be replaced by automation within the next two decades.

What do you think? If the droids of Star Wars actually existed, would our society be better off? We may learn the answer sooner than we think.

This article was originally published in the March 2018 issue.