Get ready — you might see some sentient robots at Walt Disney World and Disneyland in the near future.
Is Disneyland building robots?
The New York Times has an intriguing report about how Disney is bringing new robots into its parks. Primarily, the robots seem to respond to human emotions.
- One specific example centers around the character Groot from “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which can react to human emotions like another human.
Will robots replace humans at Disney?
Disney looks to be adding artificial intelligence to its rides and attractions. That said, it won’t look to replace humans anytime soon, according to The New York Times. Humans will still play classic characters Cinderella. But some characters may be played by robots.
- Specifically, Disney may use the robots for “Star Wars” or Marvel characters, “huge ones like the Incredible Hulk, tiny ones like Baby Yoda and swinging ones like Spider-Man — that are challenging to bring to life in a realistic way, especially outdoors,” according to The New York Times.
Why does Disney want robots?
Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, said in April that improving animatronics at Disney Parks is about building a better experience for consumers, according to The New York Times.
Tesla aims to build new human robots
But Disney isn’t the only company looking to shell out robots. Per The Verge, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is hoping to build a prototype for a humanoid robot within the next year. The robot is intended to be friendly and help people carry things.
- “It’s intended to be friendly,” Musk said, according to CNET, “and navigate through a world built for humans.”
And the robot will be built so humans can overpower them easily.
- “I think essentially in the future, physical work will be a choice, if you want to do it you can,” Musk said, according to The Verge.