ClaimsRodney Brooks

“"The robots will understand the tasks in terms of the objects, places, and people that define the task rather than as a series of simple motions, so they will exhibit simple forms of 'common sense' -- e.g., if a robot has been trained to put a dishes in a dishwasher, but a person comes up to it and takes the dish out of its hands it will understand that there is no need to continue heading to the dishwasher, but instead go back to the dining table for the next dish."”

Rodney Brooks, CEO of Rethink Robotics 18 September 2012 Part 1: Future Of Robotics: Manufacturing Gets A Makeover With Baxter (Forbes) archived copy

Prediction AI capabilities

Robots will understand tasks in terms of the objects, places and people involved rather than as a series of simple motions, and so will show simple forms of common sense. For example, if a person takes a dish from a robot that is carrying it to the dishwasher, the robot will stop heading to the dishwasher and go back to the dining table for the next dish.

Unresolvable The public record could not settle it.

Prediction: Statements about events outside the person's control, checked once they fell due: did they come true?

Said for an organisation they lead or work for; it counts on both records.

Reasoning

Open-ended prediction with no horizon and vague terms like 'common sense'.

Cite this claim

Rodney Brooks, “Robots will understand tasks in terms of the objects, places and people involved rather than as a series of simple motions, and so will show simple forms of common sense. For example, if a person takes a dish from a robot that is carrying it to the dishwasher, the robot will stop heading to the dishwasher and go back to the dining table for the next dish.” (said 18 September 2012). Verdict: unresolvable. Reliability API, claim c_9176221bb0b2, method 0.1.0+c876030c, dataset release v1.1.2. https://epistacklabs.com/claims/c_9176221bb0b2

This claim is in dataset release v1.1.2, with the same verdict.

Reply to this claim

For Rodney Brooks, or someone speaking for them: a correction or counter-evidence. Replies are read before anything is shown; an approved reply shows your name, role, date, statement and link. Your email address is never shown and is deleted 30 days after the decision (privacy).

More prediction claims by Rodney Brooks

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  2. Mostly false Prediction 1 January 2026
    “Things at this stage are looking good for Artemis to fly in February 2026.”

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  3. Resolved true Prediction 1 January 2025
    “Launch seems imminent.”

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  4. Resolved false Prediction 1 January 2024
    “Thereafter it is expected to fly with a crew once a year.”

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  5. Mostly true Prediction 1 January 2023
    “I am concerned that Starship will not be ready for the proposed 2025 Lunar Landing of astronauts and that will really delay humankind’s return the to Moon.”

    Brooks said he was concerned that Starship would not be ready for the proposed 2025 crewed lunar landing, and that this would delay humankind's return to the Moon.

All of them

Verdicts are made automatically; how verdicts are made.