Humans, Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and Autonomous Entities in Space

Abstract

Humans and physical technologies have interacted intimately throughout all of human existence. Humans as such have never existed “without technology.” Indeed, humans become “human” and change the meaning of being human in large measure by interacting with each other and their environment through technologies. For much of human history, our technologies, though necessary tools for human activities, were largely or completely dumb – dependent on humans to function. Over time, we have also made smarter and smarter technologies, able to do more on their own, if properly designed, built, and maintained.