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Sam Diserens: Absolutely not. A lot of my work is creative problem solving and finding new approaches to solving issues. Surely a robot can only do what you’ve told it to do? When a problem has arisen that’s brand new, it’s not something a robot could work out. It could only approach the problem in a way you’ve taught it.But what about once robots get more advanced?
No. It’s easier to program a robot to do simple tasks, surely? The first jobs to be taken over by machines would be the menial tasks, like rubbish collecting. They could just be automated. It’s easier to make a robot do one thing rather than many things. You can’t program a robot to think for itself or develop novel approaches to things.So what would you say to the university minister?
You’re wrong, basically. Unless he’s very well informed on the state of advancements in robotics, then it’s probably not something he should comment on.
Daphne Mitchell: False. Accountancy is an art and a science. The science bit can be done by robots, yes, or computer programmes. The art bit of it? Absolutely not. Who is it saying this nonsense?What’s the arty bit of accounting?
There are always grey areas, and that’s where artistic accountancy comes in. Delving into those grey areas and finding good reasons why they would be tax deductible. Creativity, judgment and intuition come in here. Getting a computer to do that would be impossible. You could get a robot to paint a Picasso, but there’s a bit of soul in an artist’s work that you can’t recreate. Anyone can write a sentence, but there’s a difference between an essay and a novel.
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I’d say, "Who is going to design a robot with the ability to channel pure creativity? Are you?" Yes, a machine can do the job alright, but no one will hire a machine over a human accountant. The robot won’t save the client as much money by working out the grey areas. Goodbye, robot.
Natalie Craig: Teaching is so much more than facts and marking and times tables. Sometimes the classroom is the only safe haven a child has, and without that human contact and kindness, that's lost. What about differentiation? How can a robot teach kids of different abilities? What about kids with ADHD? There are so many different humanistic aspects you have to take into consideration with teaching. You can’t just stick kids in a room with a computer.But what if robots became so evolved that they could teach like a human?
Teachers come from all different political and social and racial backgrounds. Kids learn about different cultures as a result of their teachers. Teachers are supposed to be a different melting pot of ideas and personalities, and this brings something different to a child’s experience. Is this Michael Gove’s idea of the future?The now ex-university minister suggested it would be professions like teaching that will be taken over by robots.
The politicians in charge of education have no idea what they’re talking about. They’re currently trying to inject 1950s ideals onto a 21st century society. Kids can’t learn in a straightforward way – it’s been proven that doesn’t work. You can’t have kids sat doing worksheets all day; you need teachers to keep teaching alive.
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