Tuesday, August 20, 2019

You Can’t Be Serious?! You Say You Are Serious. Seriously? Since You Are Serious, We Are In Serious Trouble!


“The bias against black robots is a result of bias against African-Americans,” the lead researcher explained to his interviewer. He added, “It is amazing to see how people who had no prior interaction with robots show racial bias towards them.”

I will not make the assumption that, after you have read the above paragraph, you know where this Blog Posting is headed. I’m posting the Blog Posting and I’m not sure what I am saying or am going to say.

Oh well, here goes…

White Robots Are Racist!

The robots themselves aren’t Racist but rather people who make the robots white are Racist. (Is this Blog Posting making any headway along the road to clarity?)

Did I just hear you say, “Not much”?

Well, prepare to be amazed. Here’s a real headline from a television network that insists its article is Really Real News…

Robot Racism? Yes, says a study showing human’s biases extend to robots.
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Fella has recovered enough to ask a question…

“Is Everything That Is White Racist?”

Did I just hear you say yes? Did I just hear you elaborate on that “yes” by saying that the computer screen I am writing this blog on is white, therefore, it is a Racist Computer Screen

Did I just hear you say from the bottom of that hole you are digging yourself into that, if the computer screen wanted to prove that it was not Racist, it would change itself to a Black Computer Screen?

Here comes my follow-up question…Since the letters in this Blog Posting are black, to be seen they would have to change themselves into white lettering, if the screen were changed to black. Once the lettering became white, would the white lettering be Racist because it is White?

I can see that you are shaken in your conviction so I will again ask…

“Is Everything That Is White Racist?”

I say no, for example, there’s a pretty good reason why most home appliances are white and it’s because it’s a neutral color that goes with any decor. By the same token, white robots go with anything. 

(I can see that the above paragraph did not close out this discussion.)

Maybe the people who made the first robots didn’t even pick the color white it was just that the washing machine they cut up to get the project started happened to be a White Washing Machine. It wasn’t a plot. It wasn’t a conspiracy. It was just handy (and white).

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OK, since this foolishness is already silly, let’s play What If...

  • What if they had made their robots Brown? Would UPS be suing?
  • What if they had made their robots Orange? Would the Orange Growers of Florida be throwing rotten tomatoes at them and their robots?
  • What if they had made their robots Green? Would people from Ireland be charging through our airports with pitchforks in their outraged hands?
Are we being stirred up by people who just like to stir things up? Here are a few things to think about as I desperately try to extricate myself from this Blog Posting… 
  • White People aren’t actually white. They’re a variety of pinks and flesh tones. 
  • Black People aren’t actually black. 
  • Native Americans aren’t actually red.
  • Asians aren’t actually yellow. 
  • White Castle serves hamburgers to everybody. 
  • A White Sale isn’t an attempt to make slavery right. 
  • White Water Rafting is open to all colors of people.
  • Slappy White was not arrested for assault.

Boy, am I glad this one is over.

Would I kid u?

Smartfella