WEBVTT

00:00.000 --> 00:04.280
Artificial intelligence is, you know, always trying to get computers to do the things that

00:04.280 --> 00:10.120
people do and that we can't get computers to do yet.

00:10.120 --> 00:13.200
The most prevalent use of robots is in factories.

00:13.200 --> 00:19.060
The research is now towards getting robots to be robust in the dynamic open world.

00:19.060 --> 00:21.760
In libraries we've always implemented new technologies.

00:21.760 --> 00:27.280
The first question we want to ask is, should robots play a role in the library?

00:27.280 --> 00:32.720
And if they do, how do we do that in a way that's truly beneficial?

00:32.720 --> 00:36.640
Living and working with robots is organized around the goal of trying to create general

00:36.640 --> 00:38.280
purpose service robots.

00:38.280 --> 00:41.580
Robots that can be in our homes or that can be in our office buildings or that can be

00:41.580 --> 00:42.800
outside on campus.

00:42.800 --> 00:47.200
They have to be able to sense their environment, decide what to do and take action.

00:47.200 --> 00:48.560
What roles might they take on?

00:48.560 --> 00:51.600
And how does that have implications for the work that we already do in libraries and for

00:51.600 --> 00:52.960
the people who do that work?

00:52.960 --> 00:55.840
Could they envision a robot as co-worker and what would that look like?

00:58.280 --> 01:05.360
There's all kinds of opportunities for robots to shift the types of labor that people do

01:05.360 --> 01:07.920
towards the things that people find more satisfying.

01:07.920 --> 01:11.840
A robot would not replace the librarian or the library staff who's knowledgeable.

01:11.840 --> 01:14.560
In a library just delivering a book from here to there.

01:14.560 --> 01:19.720
A robot could query a system sifting through a lot of metadata that otherwise might take

01:19.720 --> 01:20.720
me a long time.

01:20.720 --> 01:23.500
How do you do that in a way that people will embrace?

01:23.500 --> 01:27.220
How do we study the work that's being done in certain areas of the library where we think

01:27.220 --> 01:28.780
it might be a good fit?

01:28.780 --> 01:32.140
Where are opportunities for a robot to be assistive in that process?

01:35.660 --> 01:40.900
How can we develop the technology and at the same time roll it out to people and socialize

01:40.900 --> 01:44.460
them in a way that's enhancing people's lives?

01:44.460 --> 01:47.820
Libraries are a place for experimentation and they are a place for learning and trying

01:47.820 --> 01:49.560
new things in a thoughtful way.

01:49.560 --> 01:53.480
I think in many cases it's going to be that robots will take over part of a person's job

01:53.480 --> 01:56.480
and free them up to be more productive on the parts that they like.

01:56.480 --> 02:00.920
These kinds of new technologies, these kinds of systems are being deployed.

02:00.920 --> 02:01.920
How can we do it well?

02:01.920 --> 02:02.760
How can we do it better?