South Korea to Build Robot Cities by 2013

If you’ve liked watching Lt. Commander Data, the positronic-brained second officer, in the sci-fi series Star Trek, then you’d love to hear this.

The South Korean government plans to build two robot-themed parks close to Seoul—one in the bustling seaport of Incheon and another in Masan—by the year 2013.

robots South Korea to Build Robot Cities by 2013 picture

The megaproject—the first of its kind on the planet—is estimated to cost a whopping $1.6 billion, and will feature an array of robotic marvels allowing visitors to interact with tomorrow’s machines.

According to reports published on the web site Korea.net, the two cities are being developed as futuristic hubs, poised to become the country’s Silicon Valley of robotics.

Robotics is considered to be one of South Korea’s booming industries and it has grown by leaps and bounds over the past five years—recording a 40 percent jump since the year 2003, the site reported.

To ensure that the robotics sector continues to see such growth rates, recently, the government drew up what is known as the Robot Ethics Code—a code of ethics that will prevent android abuse by humans as well as the other way round.

It’s basically a how-to manual for both robot-makers and robot-users that tells them how to relate to robots.

robot-ethics South Korea to Build Robot Cities by 2013 picture

Given that the government aims to install a robot in every household by the year 2020, perhaps, that isn’t such a quixotic idea.

What’s more, in a recently-out book titled “Love and Sex with Robots”, a British Artificial Intelligence researcher David Levy, predicts that robots will advance to such phenomenal levels in the coming years that it’ll be possible for humans to even marry them by 2050.

(link)

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9 Comments »

Comment by DARKWING DUCK
2008-04-29 16:27:00

Another hallmark moment!

 
Comment by Casual Adventurer
2008-04-29 21:03:23

I want robot theme parks like the one in “Future World” where you can choose to be in rome or the wild west…. and have adventures against robot couterparts and liasons with comely robot wenches…… But without the robots that look like “Yul Brynner” trying to kill you……. yessiree being killed in a robot theme park would no be a good adventure……. But I guess it’s lucky that it’s only like that in the movies…….. (Or is it???????)

 
Comment by doc
2008-04-29 23:00:26

hey this is doc from the itunes podcast: Heroes of Science Fiction and Fantasy, the more robots the better. I hope we get something like that over here. Disneyland needs to buy up some land and make an extension.

 
Comment by Bryce Dunn
2008-05-07 06:56:34

I would like to say, NO to Robots! They aren’t natural and we don’t want them claiming at some stage that they have feelings and then the next thing is they are killing us all and ruling the earth! Believe me people this is a can we don’t want to open!

 
Comment by Harimau
2008-05-12 02:12:59

“What’s more, in a recently-out book titled “Love and Sex with Robots”, a British Artificial Intelligence researcher David Levy, predicts that robots will advance to such phenomenal levels in the coming years that it’ll be possible for humans to even marry them by 2050.”

Dear god…

 
Comment by Mona Sahlin
2008-05-17 18:11:22

I would like to fuck a robot.

 
Comment by Mona Sahlin
2008-05-17 18:12:23

I would like to blow a robot.

 
Comment by kant
2008-05-18 07:49:19

I, for one, would like to the be the first to welcome our new robot overlords…

Comment by Bryce Dunn
2008-05-29 08:59:14

I would like you all to take this seriously!

Humans don’t know what they are getting themselves into! Its opening a very big mechanical tin of robot worms! I won’t rest until I stop these robots! If we keep laughing about it and having sex with robots and not taking the matter seriously we could all be enslaved and even used as batterys to power the evil ‘borgs! I’m going to start by making a film to open everyones eyes. It’s called E=MCRobot. Look out for it and wish me luck! I’ll report back soon! In the mean time don’t befriend anything that has a microchip for a brain!

Got to go! We don’t have much time!

Good luck everyone!

Bryce

 
 
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