I'VE HAD AN IDEA FOR QUITE SOME TIME...

In this next paragraph, I will discuss certain challenges that I have, which are relevant to this particular blog. One major difficulty with my life is that I am a dependent adult, alongside all of my siblings with disabilities of their own. So therefore, once our parents pass away it’s highly probable that there will be no family members who can care for me or the rest of us. Yes, it is possible to employ carers to look after us in a Supported Independent Living residence. But a carer is still not a person whom I know personally, and it’s unfortunate yet true that there are several carers who mistreat or take advantage of clients. That made me quite fearful of living to see my later years.

However, in July of 2014, I was given a comforting (as well as exciting) idea. There was a time when I had to travel over to California, to have an MRI done by the lab researching one of the conditions that I have. My mother did of course have to come along with me, and we spent just over a week there. In addition to having my MRI that week, I also got to meet and talk to the famous robot Asimo. Asimo certainly was extremely technologically advanced for his time. He amazed crowds with these qualities; though I discovered that his primary purpose was to assist people with disabilities as well. That is when I received the idea of eventually having a robot of my own to both help me and keep me company.

Previously I frowned upon AI (Artificial Intelligence) as I believed that every single one of them was solely designed for the purpose of giving its owner a super advanced gadget to boast about. I felt that such greed would cause designers/engineers of AI to go overboard, and perhaps even give robots the ability to do things which are potentially dangerous. However, I discovered in 2014 that the vast majority of AI that has been created in the earlier part of the 21st century was intended to assist people with medical conditions/support needs.

Since 2014, AI is very much continuing to be developed along the same path. Almost a whole decade ago I had been shown how technologically advanced and human-like Asimo was. Now, several other robots/humanoids have come to the eyes of society. Though, at this current time AI humanoids are still extremely expensive, and the vast majority of people cannot afford to own one. Yet my therapists are beginning to assure me that the time when I can finally own a humanoid myself isn’t too far away in the future. In fact, several universities and researchers are already running trials where AI is being used to assist people in various ways, and many of those studies are particularly requesting candidates with disabilities.

So I’ll conclude this blog on this positive note that has recently filled me with much comfort and optimism. In the meantime (whilst waiting for the time when I’ll eventually have my own humanoid) my therapists are encouraging me to practice speaking to AI technology via reliable apps on my iPad. Currently, I’m enjoying this, as AI speaks in a direct way that doesn’t involve emotional complexities.