IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - September 2019 - 88

BOOKS

Homo Roboticus: Creating Synergies
Among Humans, Technology, Science, and Art
An Jacobs, Lynn Tytgat, Michel Maus, Romain Meeusen, and Bram Vanderborght, Eds.

istory teaches us that technology
has the power to strength en
economic growth and transform
societies. This will be the case
more than ever with the emerging
robotics and artificial intelligence fields.
Technology will be an important part of
the problem-solving process for
current and future societal challenges,
including the aging population, rising
health costs, the need for healthier and
better work, the environment, climate
change, mobility, and energy. At the
same time, new and very important
challenges are emerging, which include
ensuring that robotization and artificial
intelligence continue to benefit people
and society. To achieve this objective,
the book Homo Roboticus proposes 10
policy recommendations for an inclusive
robot agenda.
What Is Homo Roboticus?
As Darwin was well aware, it is not the
strongest animal that survives but the
one that is best fit for its environment.
This means we will have to continue
adapting to the emerging trend of
robotization. Let us not underestimate
the capabilities of humankind. We
have millions of years of evolution
behind us. Both cognitively and physically, the human machine is much
more impressive and complex than its
robotic counterparts. Yet our bodies
also have their limitations, and we face
social challenges.

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MRA.2019.2928736
Date of publication: 5 September 2019

IEEE ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION MAGAZINE

roboticus to spend time with others and
engage in mutual care and support,
thereby becoming more fully human.

As the famous French mathematician, engineer, and philosopher of science Henri Poincaré argued, "Thought
must never submit, because this would
mean the end of thinking." The homo
roboticus does not submit to robotics
and artificial intelligence; instead, it uses
technology to benefit its life, work, and
society. It focuses on developing and
deploying technology that is complementary to human beings, working with
technology but remaining in charge and
continuing to bear ultimate responsibility. To achieve this, it creates an ethical
and legal framework that evolves proactively along with changing technological
possibilities. It considers freedom, solidarity, and equality to be of paramount
importance and adapts technology to
the needs of humankind by cocreation,
using a multidisciplinary approach. It
ensures that every person has a meaningful place in society. This allows homo

SEPTEMBER 2019

Humane Recommendations for
a Technological Society
In Homo Roboticus, more than 50 academics from various disciplines investigate the place of humans in the
technological society of the future; it
includes over 30 thought-provoking
questions and concludes with 10 recommendations for an inclusive robot
agenda. It places technology at the service of humans and society. The authors
show how the principles of freedom,
equality, and solidarity can be upheld
and consolidated. These recommendations are designed to establish a path
for policy and as well as a path for participants in our society, so that, together,
we can derive the maximum benefit
from technology while keeping its negative aspects to a minimum. Our future
is in our own hands. This initiative is a
call for action and evolution-a call to
the homo roboticus.
Raise Awareness About
Technology and Encourage
Open Innovation
There is considerable fear surrounding
technology. As in the history of every
disruptive innovation, people are concerned about the consequences of the
changes they are seeing around them.
Moreover, the innovations are coming
at us quickly. This gives rise to a feeling
of powerlessness in terms of influencing
the future. At the same time, people are
curious about the potential of new

IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - September 2019

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