RoboCup 2019: Talks
From forced labour to friends, foes and fighting machines, how will the rise of robots impact our everyday lives?
July 4 & 6, 2019
Was Stephen Hawking right that artificial intelligence is possibly the greatest threat to humanity?
Presented as part of RoboCup 2019, UNSW Centre for Ideas brings a series of talks to explore the
exciting, daunting and rapid rise of robot technology. From RoboEthics to RoboWarfare and
RoboReveal, our panels of experts consider the big questions and examine how robotics and AI
will impact our everyday lives.
RoboCup is an international robotics competition, showcasing the latest state of the art
developments in robotics and AI research. You’ll be able to see new developments in robotics at
home, at work, in disaster recovery and on the soccer field. Now in its 23rd year, RoboCup comes to
Sydney for the first time from July 2 to 8, 2019 at ICC Sydney.
In the 1920s when the word ‘robot’ was coined, the notion of machines living alongside humans
was entirely science fiction. But anyone with a smart watch, a phone that talks back, or a fridge that
can buy its own milk knows that times have changed.
UNSW Professor and RoboWarfare panellist Lyria Bennett Moses says, “Developments in
robotics raise important questions about how humans will live among designed entities that
compete for work and impact our lives as consumers, as people in need of care, as pedestrians and
passengers, and as potential targets in war. The RoboCup Talks will delve deeper into these
issues, asking how we can design robots in ways that reflect our ethical commitments and
enhance human flourishing. This is an important part of a broader conversation, and we are
looking forward to hearing what expert panellists and RoboCup participants have to say.”
RoboEthics
6pm, Thursday 4 July
Lower Town Hall
When we build robots and artificial intelligence, is there anywhere we shouldn’t go?
Stephen Hawking once claimed that AI could be the greatest threat to humanity. The tech world’s
most prominent visionaries have voiced concerns around the proliferation of robots in all areas of
our lives, yet we continue to hurtle towards a brave new mechanical world. Should there be a set of
immutable ethical laws around robots and AI before it’s too late? Join UNSW Professor Toby
Walsh, researcher Kate Devlin, philosopher Matthew Beard and ethicist Justine Rogers to tackle
these moral dilemmas and determine how these rapidly emerging technologies will impact our
tomorrow.
Tickets $10 + booking fees
RoboEthics & RoboWarfare combo tickets $15 + booking fees
Bookings,
RoboWarfare
7.30pm, Thursday 4 July
Lower Town Hall
Should robots have the right to kill?
We owe so much of our technological innovation to the relationship between the tech industry and
the military, without it we wouldn’t have satellite navigation or the internet. So what happens when
military engineers start building lethal autonomous weapons who can make their own decisions on
the frontline? A future where robots march alongside human soldiers into battle is no longer just a
science fiction fantasy. The rise of robots could make warfare safer for civilians and reduce the
lethality of war, but should robots ever have the right to kill? Join law professor Lyria Bennett
Moses, professor of AI Toby Walsh and autonomous weapons systems researcher Jai Galliott, to
explore the quandaries and benefits of robots and AI on the frontline.
Tickets $10 + booking fees
RoboEthics & RoboWarfare combo tickets $15 + booking fees
Bookings,
RoboReveal
Saturday 6 July, 2pm
ICC Sydney, Exhibition Centre Lvl 3, Room E3.2
When are the robots moving in?
Self-driving cars, surgery bots, Siri. We have already welcomed robots into our homes, cars and
pockets, so what’s next? Will they be joining soldiers on the battlefield, sitting next to us in the
office or replacing our human friends? Join Marita Cheng, Toby Walsh and more for a discussion
on the exciting (and sometimes daunting) developments in robotic technology. RoboReveal is
suitable for families and will include a Q&A with the audience.
Free event
Bookings, centreforideas.com/event/roboreveal
RoboCup 2019: Talks are presented as part the UNSW Grand Challenge on Living with 21st Century
Technology.
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