科技英语新闻:Future of robotics: friend or foe?

SHANGHAI, May, 13 (Xinhua) -- Scientists attending a recent high-level conference on robotics agreed that great progress has been made in the field, but strict rules for the safe usage of robots should be implemented.

"Four years ago, if you went into a Chinese factory and said 'robots can help you work,' you would be kicked out. But now, China has a large industrial robot market, along with Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States," says Li Zexiang, general chair of the 2011 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2011), which concluded Friday in Shanghai.

Chinese robotics researchers have suggested to the government that rules and regulations for robot usage should be created. Professor Wang Tianmiao from the Beihang University (BUAA) told Xinhua about the suggestions during the conference.

Wang says that in the future, it might not be possible for artificial intelligence to take the place of humans in some social roles. However, Wang says that mankind should pay close attention to the possible dangers of advancements in robotics, as the industry is currently undergoing dramatic changes.

The five-day conference, which is organized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), took place in China for the first time ever since its first session in 1984, which took place in the city of Atlanta in the United States.

Media reports show that Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and several Western countries have already drafted rules about the safe use of robots.