Learning Robots

In scanning the world of technology with an eye toward the future of education I came across an article on Learning Robots. It talked about robots that can teach themselves how to do various tasks through a process called "reinforcement learning"  (Metz, 2017, para. 2). The robot teaches itself by tracking its own trial and error process and making adjustments along the way. Google's learning robot even "beat a human player at the game of Go" (Metz, 2017, para. 1).

This concept interested me, especially in how it might be used in the classroom, so I Googled more and ended up at a short video at Business Insider called 7 Amazing Technologies we'll see by 2030. This video suggested that learning robots would join humans in the board room by 2024. It didn't really elaborate on that, but if a robot can learn from a human opponent in the game of Go it can learn from colleagues in a board room and eventually from teachers and students in an educational environment. What if robots could analyze the responses to instruction and help the teacher understand how to reach the students? What if robot teachers replaced human teachers altogether? Interesting concept for sure.

Metz, C. (2016, January 27). In a Huge Breakthrough, Google’s AI Beats a Top Player at the Game 

          of Go. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/2016/01/in-a-huge-breakthrough-googles-    

          ai-beats-a-top-player-at-the-game-of-go/

Metz, C. (2017, January 30). Google’s Go-Playing Machine Opens the Door to Robots that Learn.   

          Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/2017/01/googles-go-playing-machine-opens-

          door-robots-learn/ 

Protin, C., & Thompson, C. (Directors). (2017, February 24). 7 Amazing Technologies we'll see by 

          2030 [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/technologies-future-

          2030-world-economic-forum-tech-video-2017-2