Can we accept robots in our society? (part 2)

European and American culture has long viewed robots as a potential threat to humanity, but the Japanese have developed a different view. The Japanese first embraced robotics in industry, using robots for manufacturing, distribution, packaging and other processes. However, the Japanese then began to focus on designing more sophisticated robots—robots that could acquire data as well as recognize and respond to objects. Japan no longer views the role of robots as doing things for humans, but also to do things with humans. For instance, the role of caretaker is one that many Japanese are willing to accept from a robot, and robots are even openly welcomed as companions and partners that can be interacted with socially. The Japanese are advancing robot culture beyond purely technological considerations, looking to the cultural, ethical, and psychological aspects of human interactivity as a guideline for robot integration into society. In Japan, robots are portrayed as “cute” and “cuddly,” rather than as the horrors that have been shown in American movies like “The Terminator.”