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Quasar fake robot
I agree that it is the AI community's responsibility to expose the fake
robot. Who if not us? If possible, we should also criticize the
gullibility of the press. It is either that or an irresponsible
liking for seeming marvels - like the magician's "prediction" of
the headlines about the New York blackout riots a week in advance.
The magician is blameless; switching envelopes after the prediction
is a common stage trick.
It would be best to have an independent investigation. Since
the Quasar outfit is in New Jersey, maybe some Bell Labs people or
Rutgers people could do the work, but it is very likely that they
would be stone-walled unless they pretended to be customers who
wanted it for a Department Store publicity stunt or something like
that. Maybe they could get the co-operation of Macy's or some
other respectable outfit.
Chuck Rieger and/or Saul Amarel at RUTGERS-10 might organize it.
After the investigation there should be a press conference
held in New York. Respectable AI people should be present. Perhaps
a foundation would underwrite the necessary travel. Whoever did the
actual investigation should be featured along with the professors.
If not, short range travel should suffice.
The following points might be made:
1. Quasar's claim (what they claimed should be documented from the
news stories) would, if verified, constitute a major advance over
what the worldwide AI community believes to be the state of the
art.
2. Since they never came to scientific meetings or published and
we never heard of them we were skeptical.
3. They turned out to be remotely controlled. A robot depending
on a man in a control room is hardly useful for household chores.
4. The newspapers, wire services, and TV broadcasters have been
remiss in their duty to check marvels. They can ask well-known
scientists in the relevant field, and if they get a skeptical
answer they can investigate further.