In 2009 we are surrounded by technology. Gadgets that only 10 years ago people wouldn't have been able to comprehend. In 10 years we have gone from personal stereos, to walkmans to iPods and tiny mp3 players; from floppy drives, to cd's, to DVDs and now USB sticks and SD cards that can hold libraries of information. Technology changes fast and even what we see in the marketplace this year is primitive in comparison to the technologies being tested and designed right now.



Artificial Intelligence has long been a theme of science fiction novels and Hollywood. Commander Data, R2D2 and Dave - ring any bells? But how close are we to actually realizing these dreams of science fiction?

Not only are the military spending millions on research they already have made good use of early AI developments. They have robots that can walk like animals that can perform reconnaissance missions without the risk a human's life. They have intelligent computers that can fly airplanes and missiles and make choices based on the situation it is presented with.

Have you ever though that when you step onto a commercial flight, there is a computer controlling the airplane 90% of the time. Computers can even land the airplane should a pilot choose not to. Technology not only drives the world, it almost controls it.

Toys are the latest fad to take hold of the developments in AI. Pets that behave like animals, baby dolls that are almost life like, that need caring for. Children are presented with a mass of products that use such technology and anything else might be considered obsolete. A baby doll that cries every half hour is, as far as kids and technology is concerned, “so last year”. Dolls now move, talk; react to noise, heat and movement. They do nearly everything a real baby does. The skin is even lifelike.

Every year whatever it is that the kids want; you can almost guarantee it will be more sophisticated and intelligent that last years toy! Now we have pet hamsters. They are the latest children's fad. They run around the cage, play with toys, run away from things, can find there way around a room. And the best thing is; they don't die. They just need recharging.

I personally have a robot vacuum cleaner. It not only cleans my floor each day, it works out where walls and doors are in my house, it knows where its home is and when the battery is low it hooks itself up to the charger. When I come home at night I always find a dust free floor. OK, so it doesn't empty itself but I'm sure that's only because I'm cheap. If I put my hand deeper into my pockets I'm sure I could buy one from somewhere!

We are not quite at the point of being taken over by computers. I don't expect an Arnold Schwarzenegger android to be delivery my post in the morning. But I fully expect that to happen some time in the next 20 years. Hopefully looking more like Marilyn Monroe than Arnie… but no matter how much I would like that I'm guessing the boffins at MIT are likely to say “Sorry, Dave. I can't do that”.