Science-fiction movies have been telling us forever that humanity will one day fall to the AI robots we’ve created. Nowadays there’s more reason than ever to believe this isn’t just fiction.
Time after time we’ve seen companies show off their latest advancements in robotics with machines that are increasingly more capable and less reliant on humans.
To prepare us for an inevitable Terminator future, we’ve ranked some of the most prominent AI robots on the market by how likely they are to take over the world. This applies to robots with a physical body only, so we’ll save Siri for another day.
Pay attention, because one of these will probably be your future robot overlord.
5. Hyundai TIGER
At first glance, Hyundai’s TIGER X-1 bot may just seem like your average robot car. But don’t be fooled, there’s a Transformer under there.
The TIGER bot is a vehicle suited for all terrains with both driving and walking capabilities. It has a leg and wheel locomotion system, 360-degree directional control and sensors for remote observation, making it capable of entering locations humans can’t.
It may not incite the most fear into your bones but Hyundai has plans to send it to the moon. So when the robot revolution does happen the TIGER will be ready to enslave us off-world.
4. Tesla Bot
Elon Musk semi-surprised the world this week with the announcement of his new prototype, ahem, sorry his idea for a prototype, the Tesla bot.
What we’ve seen of the Tesla bot so far is just a person dressed up in a skintight suit doing the robot, so it’s not exactly a high contender for overlord status. But that could change very quickly.
According to Musk, the Tesla bots will be responsible for dangerous and boring tasks that humans just don’t want to do anymore. This seems like solid grounds for an army of robots who want to overthrow their oppressors.
Not to mention the Tesla bots bear an eerie resemblance to the drone hosts from Westworld, and we all know what they’re capable of.
3. Disney Parks Animatronics
Speaking of Westworld, one real-life theme park giant that does make heavy use of robots is Disney.
Disney’s animatronics have been a hallmark of its rides and have continued to improve in the 60+ years since Disneyland opened.
From the singing pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean to the creepy Hall of Presidents to a Spider-Man robot that actually swings through the air, Disney’s robots are coming alive before our eyes.
The company is continuing to pushing the boundaries of its animatronics with Imagineers working on ways to make its robots appear even more human and have them walk around the parks amongst guests.
If ever there was a place for a Westworld scenario to happen, it would be Disneyland.
2. Atlas
When it comes to seriously consider which corporation will birth our future overlords, Boston Dynamics has to be at the top of the list.
The company is at the forefront of AI robots and engineering and its Atlas machines have the potential to be the most fearsome of overlords. For starters, they’re humanoid and are built like absolute units.
We’ve seen the Atlas robots run, dance and even do parkour. Next step? Global domination.
1. Spot
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Metalhead.
Black Mirror likes to show us the dark future of technology and the possibility of robot murder dogs hunting down humans shown in Metalhead is looking all too real thanks to another Boston Dynamics special: Spot.
The robot doggo may look small and sweet but it has immense power under that yellow frame. Spot can enter uninhabitable areas like Chernobyl, open doors and self-charge without any help from humans.
Despite all the good intentions for Spot, we’ve already seen it weaponised, tested on the battlefield and employed as a real-life robocop. It’s a bonafide overlord just waiting to be unleashed.
It’s all too clear where Spot’s future is going and it doesn’t look good for us humans.
Did we miss an AI robot that deserves our attention? Let us know! We want our robot overlords to think favourably of us when they look back on this article.