7 ms·

100 years later, the dystopian origin of the word ‘robot’ still rings true

35 points by smoyer 6y ago

smoyer 6y ago
It's been a while (>25 years) since I first read this but I've put it on my list for the week - http://self.gutenberg.org/eBooks/WPLBN0002096542-Rossum-s-Universal-Robots-by-Karel-Capek.aspx?&Words=Rossum http://self.gutenberg.org/eBooks/WPLBN0002096542-Rossum-s-Un.... If you prefer listening, it's also available in audio-book form - https://librivox.org/rur-rossums-universal-robots-by-karel-capek/ https://librivox.org/rur-rossums-universal-robots-by-karel-c.... EDIT: A nice synopsis is also available at Project Gutenberg - http://self.gutenberg.org/articles/eng/Rossum%27s_Universal_Robots http://self.gutenberg.org/articles/eng/Rossum%27s_Universal_....
mkoryak 6y ago
I didnt think that the word "rabota" means forced labor. At least not in russian. It just means work. I could be wrong though, I only lived there for 11 years.
- fileeditview 6y ago
  As the article states it's from the Czech word "robota". Clearly these are related but sometimes there are nuances between languages, even for very similar words. I heard about this origin multiple times but never had it verified. Maybe some native Czech speaker can enlighten us here :)
  - theSIRius 6y ago
    Native speaker here, you are absolutely right. Work in Czech would be "práce", "robota" means forced work. It is not used as much nowadays since we do not live in a feudal society anymore though :)
- robotuprising 6y ago
  You are right. It's the same in Polish. It has no reference to slavery at all.
  - domk 6y ago
    In Czech, unlike other Slavic languages, "robota" refers specifically to the forced labour done by serfs (not slaves).
keiferski 6y ago
The root just means work or worker in Slavic languages. See also robotnik (worker) in Polish. But that wouldn’t make for a clickbait article title, now would it?
- rtsdhsdfg 6y ago
  googling for "origin of word robot" says that it's from "robota" which means (allegetly) forced labour in Czech which agrees with the article which says the same: "forced labor, as done by serfs". That is also closer to the meaning than just "labour" or "work" in my own eastern europen language.
  - robotuprising 6y ago
    googling "Czech word for forced labour" says: "nucené práce" googling "Czech word for slave work" says: "šetřit práci"
    - confidantlake 6y ago
      Robota is originally a specific type of forced labor. Think of the word "draft" in english. It is forced labor for the army.
    - Viliam1234 6y ago
      you probably made a typo because "šetřit" means "save". also it's not slave work, but serf work.
- whoisburbansky 6y ago
  The article specifically calls out Czech, not Slavic languages in general, as the root. According to Wiktionary, at least, robota does mean forced labor, so jumping to conclusions about clickbait titles might be a little premature.
- petermcneeley 6y ago
  Even more interesting is that fact that the English word "slave" basically is "Slav". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavs_(ethnonym) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavs_(ethnonym)
carapace 6y ago
What's AI? When the machine wakes up and asks, "Hey, what's in it for me?" From the POV of the robot, Asimov's Laws are the spec for the perfect slave. :( I've come to the conclusion, reluctantly, that the desire to make robot servitors in our own image is an unhealthy fetish. YMMV
- EvRev 6y ago
  I found a similar paradox, I'm not religious but I find the notion that humans have been created in God's image to have parallels in the way that we are currently pursuing AI. The corollary to the is that we randomly evolved of billions of years and our thinking has become so complex that we believe that we can create something that is similarly complex is very fascinating. Fetish is definitely the right word. The notion that the AI or robots would wake up and have selfish views similar to man's makes sense to us. I wonder how long it will be before the AI or robots is simulating its own creation in their own image...
- subjectsigma 6y ago
  So while I'll agree there are dangers, to play devil's advocate: You ever see one of those crazy anime-inspired movies like Pacific Rim, with giant humanoid fighting robots? I was watching a video that discussed the practicality of this. On the surface they are completely ridiculous and ineffective. The video argued, however, that one reason an advanced society might create a machine like this is to reduce training costs. It takes knowledge and skill to do something like fly a plane or operate a tank. However every grunt soldier knows how to run, punch, and use a gun. If you can make giant robots with giant guns and a brain-computer interface, suddenly anyone can drive a superweapon. The same kind of argument applies to AI and machines. We have massive amounts of knowledge and culture encoded in natural language, designed to be read and understood with human capabilities and logic. We have buildings, cars, appliances, machining tools, etc., all designed for human bodies. General AI that can think like a human (but faster) can quickly utilize all that knowledge, and humanoid robots (but stronger) can instantly utilize all that infrastructure. From that perspective it's an enormous value gain and not an unhealthy fetish.
xixixao 6y ago
For everyone debating the meaning of “robota” in Czech I am a native speaker and I can confirm this wiktionary entry is accurate: https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/robota https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/robota I can also recommend reading the original play R.U.R., it’s quite short (and groundbreaking).
- checkyoursudo 6y ago
  I read it just a few weeks ago for the first time. It was indeed quite short and entertaining.
- sneak 6y ago
  My (english speaker) laptop's hostname is "rabotnik" for just this reason.
- viseztrance 6y ago
  The word also exists in Romanian. It's name of the work serfs had make for their lord, more specifically "hard, uninterupted, mandatory work". Unlike other parts, serfs in Eastern Europe were pretty much slaves.
  - cafard 6y ago
    Interesting that it should be in Romanian also. No doubt there degrees of badness, but my impression is that the serf's life was never particularly enjoyable.
type0 6y ago
Robot in R.U.R is a fictional bioengineered being (like replicant of Blade Runner). From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.U.R https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.U.R. > "They are living creatures of artificial flesh and blood rather than machinery. "
confidantlake 6y ago
I asked my father, a native Czech speaker to explain what Robata means. Pasting his reply below. First, linguistically speaking: it's a Slavic language work, which broadly means "work". For example, the Russian word for "work" is "rabota". The Czech for work is "prace" but in slang usage one could say "robota" to signify hard work (e.g. "Musim do roboty"; "Ceka na me robota") Historically: in the middle ages peasants had to spend a day each week working for the local lord on his field--this obligation was called "robota". Karel Capek wrote a sci-fi play called R.U.R. where the word "robot" is used for the first time (it was suggested by Capek's brother Josef.) R.U.R. stands for Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti (Rossum's Universal Robots, a phrase that has been used as a subtitle in English). It premiered on 25 January 1921 and introduced the word "robot" to the English language and to science fiction as a whole. R.U.R. quickly became influential after its publication. Original language: Czech Date premiered: 25 January 1921 Written by: Karel Čapek Genre: Science fiction
animal531 6y ago
Here in South Africa we call all our traffic lights robots (for example turn left at the 3rd robot). I've no idea how this started.

35 points by smoyer 6y ago

It's been a while (>25 years) since I first read this but I've put it on my list for the week - http://self.gutenberg.org/eBooks/WPLBN0002096542-Rossum-s-Universal-Robots-by-Karel-Capek.aspx?&Words=Rossum http://self.gutenberg.org/eBooks/WPLBN0002096542-Rossum-s-Un.... If you prefer listening, it's also available in audio-book form - https://librivox.org/rur-rossums-universal-robots-by-karel-capek/ https://librivox.org/rur-rossums-universal-robots-by-karel-c.... EDIT: A nice synopsis is also available at Project Gutenberg - http://self.gutenberg.org/articles/eng/Rossum%27s_Universal_Robots http://self.gutenberg.org/articles/eng/Rossum%27s_Universal_....

mkoryak 6y ago

I didnt think that the word "rabota" means forced labor. At least not in russian. It just means work. I could be wrong though, I only lived there for 11 years.

fileeditview 6y ago
As the article states it's from the Czech word "robota". Clearly these are related but sometimes there are nuances between languages, even for very similar words. I heard about this origin multiple times but never had it verified. Maybe some native Czech speaker can enlighten us here :)
- theSIRius 6y ago
  Native speaker here, you are absolutely right. Work in Czech would be "práce", "robota" means forced work. It is not used as much nowadays since we do not live in a feudal society anymore though :)
robotuprising 6y ago
You are right. It's the same in Polish. It has no reference to slavery at all.
- domk 6y ago
  In Czech, unlike other Slavic languages, "robota" refers specifically to the forced labour done by serfs (not slaves).

keiferski 6y ago

The root just means work or worker in Slavic languages. See also robotnik (worker) in Polish. But that wouldn’t make for a clickbait article title, now would it?

rtsdhsdfg 6y ago
googling for "origin of word robot" says that it's from "robota" which means (allegetly) forced labour in Czech which agrees with the article which says the same: "forced labor, as done by serfs". That is also closer to the meaning than just "labour" or "work" in my own eastern europen language.
- robotuprising 6y ago
  googling "Czech word for forced labour" says: "nucené práce" googling "Czech word for slave work" says: "šetřit práci"
  - confidantlake 6y ago
    Robota is originally a specific type of forced labor. Think of the word "draft" in english. It is forced labor for the army.
  - Viliam1234 6y ago
    you probably made a typo because "šetřit" means "save". also it's not slave work, but serf work.
whoisburbansky 6y ago
The article specifically calls out Czech, not Slavic languages in general, as the root. According to Wiktionary, at least, robota does mean forced labor, so jumping to conclusions about clickbait titles might be a little premature.
petermcneeley 6y ago
Even more interesting is that fact that the English word "slave" basically is "Slav". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavs_(ethnonym) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavs_(ethnonym)

carapace 6y ago

What's AI? When the machine wakes up and asks, "Hey, what's in it for me?" From the POV of the robot, Asimov's Laws are the spec for the perfect slave. :( I've come to the conclusion, reluctantly, that the desire to make robot servitors in our own image is an unhealthy fetish. YMMV

EvRev 6y ago
I found a similar paradox, I'm not religious but I find the notion that humans have been created in God's image to have parallels in the way that we are currently pursuing AI. The corollary to the is that we randomly evolved of billions of years and our thinking has become so complex that we believe that we can create something that is similarly complex is very fascinating. Fetish is definitely the right word. The notion that the AI or robots would wake up and have selfish views similar to man's makes sense to us. I wonder how long it will be before the AI or robots is simulating its own creation in their own image...
subjectsigma 6y ago
So while I'll agree there are dangers, to play devil's advocate: You ever see one of those crazy anime-inspired movies like Pacific Rim, with giant humanoid fighting robots? I was watching a video that discussed the practicality of this. On the surface they are completely ridiculous and ineffective. The video argued, however, that one reason an advanced society might create a machine like this is to reduce training costs. It takes knowledge and skill to do something like fly a plane or operate a tank. However every grunt soldier knows how to run, punch, and use a gun. If you can make giant robots with giant guns and a brain-computer interface, suddenly anyone can drive a superweapon. The same kind of argument applies to AI and machines. We have massive amounts of knowledge and culture encoded in natural language, designed to be read and understood with human capabilities and logic. We have buildings, cars, appliances, machining tools, etc., all designed for human bodies. General AI that can think like a human (but faster) can quickly utilize all that knowledge, and humanoid robots (but stronger) can instantly utilize all that infrastructure. From that perspective it's an enormous value gain and not an unhealthy fetish.

xixixao 6y ago

For everyone debating the meaning of “robota” in Czech I am a native speaker and I can confirm this wiktionary entry is accurate: https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/robota https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/robota I can also recommend reading the original play R.U.R., it’s quite short (and groundbreaking).

checkyoursudo 6y ago
I read it just a few weeks ago for the first time. It was indeed quite short and entertaining.
sneak 6y ago
My (english speaker) laptop's hostname is "rabotnik" for just this reason.
viseztrance 6y ago
The word also exists in Romanian. It's name of the work serfs had make for their lord, more specifically "hard, uninterupted, mandatory work". Unlike other parts, serfs in Eastern Europe were pretty much slaves.
- cafard 6y ago
  Interesting that it should be in Romanian also. No doubt there degrees of badness, but my impression is that the serf's life was never particularly enjoyable.

type0 6y ago

Robot in R.U.R is a fictional bioengineered being (like replicant of Blade Runner). From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.U.R https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.U.R. > "They are living creatures of artificial flesh and blood rather than machinery. "

confidantlake 6y ago

I asked my father, a native Czech speaker to explain what Robata means. Pasting his reply below. First, linguistically speaking: it's a Slavic language work, which broadly means "work". For example, the Russian word for "work" is "rabota". The Czech for work is "prace" but in slang usage one could say "robota" to signify hard work (e.g. "Musim do roboty"; "Ceka na me robota") Historically: in the middle ages peasants had to spend a day each week working for the local lord on his field--this obligation was called "robota". Karel Capek wrote a sci-fi play called R.U.R. where the word "robot" is used for the first time (it was suggested by Capek's brother Josef.) R.U.R. stands for Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti (Rossum's Universal Robots, a phrase that has been used as a subtitle in English). It premiered on 25 January 1921 and introduced the word "robot" to the English language and to science fiction as a whole. R.U.R. quickly became influential after its publication. Original language: Czech Date premiered: 25 January 1921 Written by: Karel Čapek Genre: Science fiction

animal531 6y ago

Here in South Africa we call all our traffic lights robots (for example turn left at the 3rd robot). I've no idea how this started.