The name for “robot” has dark origins.

 

The name for “robot” has dark origins.

If you look into the etymology of “robot,” it comes from the Czech word “robota” which translates to forced labor or work.

The word was first used to refer to a fictional humanoid in a play in 1920.

Spoiler alert: as the story goes, the robot slaves rebel against their human masters.

Have you ever felt uncertain, or even threatened by a robot, or another persuasive yet inanimate character that appears to be living? You’re not alone.

As artificial intelligence evolved throughout the decades, these fictional robots began to adopt the form of material objects — from wooden dolls to machinery. However, the unmistakable yet intangible threat that robots pose to humans has remained largely constant throughout both literature as well as the human psyche.

With deep roots in fear and ethical gray-areas, it’s no wonder that our view of robots today hasn’t changed all that drastically. But is that OK?

Humans tend to abuse chatbots, robots, and voice assistants wherever the opportunity to do so exists. Alexa, Siri, food delivery robots — all bear the brunt of our attitude towards subhuman entities, manifested in the form of verbal disrespect, curses, or even physical violence.