Yin and Yangyang

Yangyang greeted an adoring public at the Global Mobile Internet Conference in Beijing, China. The pretty, auburn haired, young woman with expressive brown eyes behind designer framed glasses, spoke with reporters, shook hands with well-wishers, and hugged her mentor, scientist Song Yang. I should probably mention that Yangyang is a robot.

Song Yang, whom Yangyang is modeled after, said, "At present this robot has 43 degrees of freedom across her whole body, most of them concentrated on the face, because of this, her expressions can be very varied."

Yangyang is the product of China's Shanghai Yangyang Intellegent Robot Science Service Centre and Japanese professor Hiroshi Ishiguro. Their stated objective is that Yangyang will help popularize robotics among the general populace and young people in particular. At this time the robot is controlled remotely, but the goal is to create an autonomous unit.

The "female" humanoid robot is constructed out of a special type of silica gel that feels like human skin. Members of the research team explained that robots like Yangyang could be used as sales assistants, or body doubles for celebrities.

Yes, and perhaps more. Robots as sex slaves has been the fodder for science-fiction writers for generations. These authors asked the question, can and should morality apply? This question is not as academic as it seems in view of Artificial Intelligence (AI) right around the corner.

Then there is the other side of the coin. Ishiguro's ultimate goal is to transfer human consciousness into a fully articulated android body.  “The most important concept is to extend someone’s life. If we have an android, we can extend our experience and do several things simultaneously,” he said, but then added, "However, this is probably a luxury concept more for the well-off in life."

Ishiguro has been awarded a $16 million grant by Japan’s Department of Science and Technology to take his robots to the next level, in which he hopes to instill them with the notion of “intention and desire.”

Will we create a race of android sex slaves who can think and may become self-aware, but deny them free will?

Yangyang and creator Song Yang