Do robots have temper tantrums? When will I get a robot to do my laundry? What should the next generation do to become experts in AI and robotics?
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory made a stop at Indian Prairie Public Library in Darien, Illinois for its AI Roadshow event, “Makerspaces for Science: AI and Robotics at Argonne.” This event featured Rapid Prototyping Laboratory (RPL) researchers Ryan Lewis and Casey Stone and was moderated by science communicator Gillian King-Cargile. Guests learned about Argonne’s autonomous discovery initiative and had the opportunity to ask the experts their questions about the future of AI and robotics.
Argonne’s autonomous discovery initiative aims to accelerate scientific breakthroughs by automating lab processes using AI and robotics. The RPL, similar to a makerspace, offers scientists different tools such as robotic arms and 3D printers to test programs and learn how they can integrate robots into their own research.
Stone is a computational scientist in the RPL and has worked at Argonne for five years. She started as a biologist and then transitioned into computer science after realizing she wanted to improve laboratory processes to make experimentation easier for biologists.
Lewis is the RPL’s software lead. He originally worked as an intern in high performance computing at Argonne. Lewis had been a member of college robotics teams and was working on a Mars Rover prototype when he heard about Argonne’s plans for the RPL. His excitement about the project prompted him to pursue a master’s degree in robotics.
King-Cargile, the event moderator, translates complex scientific research into accessible content and shares it through a variety of channels, including articles, videos, and events.
When will robots be in homes?
Everyone at some point has dreamed about robots bringing them food or doing household chores. So how close are we to that being a reality?
“I think we’re still a number of years away from robots being generally available, but we are starting to see more home assistance robots in limited application,” Lewis said. “The main thing is affordability. So, if you have $100,000 you can buy a robot that can do a decent number of tasks around your home.”
Though Argonne’s RPL primarily focuses on robotics for the purpose of accelerating science, the laboratory’s work does have an impact on the future of robots in the home.
“At Argonne we are figuring out these technologies, and it does help in the commercial sector. Everything we do is open science. So, the fact that these two researchers are automating labs, that will get us closer to getting robots that do laundry and help us every day,” said King-Cargile.
Why does AI hallucinate?
“AI doesn’t try to do things that are evil or sinister or try and take control. The way it often fails is that it messes up. It gets confused,” said Lewis.
Lewis referenced confabulations, or as it’s more popularly known “hallucinations.” Hallucinations are when AI spits out a wrong answer. It’s not trying to cause harm or make people mess up.
“This also happens to people. Sometimes I ask my coworkers questions, and they give me wrong answers, but I’m not assuming they are trying to sabotage me,” Lewis said.
How will AI and robots shape future science careers?
Lewis has a positive outlook for the future of scientists in an increasingly automated world: “As AI gets more advanced, I don’t really see us not having a job because there’s always more work to do. No matter how much we automate, the scientists are always asking, well, what more can we do?”
Scientists are constantly thinking about new experiments, planning their next research project and figuring out what big questions they can tackle. The goal of the autonomous discovery initiative at Argonne is not to replace humans, but rather to learn how to integrate these technologies into science.
“It’s really putting the robotics into those lab spaces and figuring out what the robots are really good at doing, what the human should be doing, and what AI can be doing to help everything move faster,” King-Cargile said.
How can students get involved in AI and robotics?
“No matter what field you’re going into, even if it’s traditional science, you do need to have some level of familiarity with coding, even if it’s one class. Just knowing how to speak that language is really helpful,” Stone said.
At Argonne, there are several opportunities for students to explore science. The laboratory offers graduate and undergraduate internships, along with several educational programs designed to help students learn more about STEM. Argonne also provides free summer camps where students can learn about coding, data science or more about STEM. Argonne is also hosting an Open House in June for visitors of all ages to tour the campus and learn more about the work being done.
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology by conducting leading-edge basic and applied research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.