The world's first flying automaton was a 4th-century BC mechanical dove
Adrienne Mayer · a16z Podcast | Ancient Dreams of Technology, Gods & Robots · Jan 2, 2019 · at 28:53
Adrienne Mayer, historian of science and author of 'Gods and Robots', describes documented historical technology and mechanical automatons built in classical antiquity.
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“The very first automaton that could fly was created by a friend of Plato named Architas. He was just a polymath, a brilliant inventor, engineer, and a general, and he created an artificial bird In the shape of a dove that could fly several yards.”
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More from Adrienne Mayer
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“There's a lot of natural knowledge, and even scientific folk knowledge, if you will, embedded in mythology, and all of my projects have been investigations into finding what's real in myths and legends and antiquity.”
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“You could call ancient mythology cultural dreams or ancient thought experiments. They're basically the very first science fictions before science.”
Mayer: Biological reproduction versus fabrication defines human and artificial distinction
“That is a critical distinction in antiquity and now, if something is manufactured or fabricated and not reproduced biologically. That is the dividing line between real and natural, human and non-human beings. Animate and inanimate.”
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“By thinking about the programming and the systems of these inventions of the god Hephaestus, and she's able to destroy them by using their technology, turning their technology against them, so you could call her the first hacker.”
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“So essentially they are the first AI entities in Western literature, and it was Homer who describes these.”
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“Basically, what's really important today is whether one is going to be a Promethean or an Epimethean. When considering AI and advances in technology, foresight is really important, but we tend to be more like Epimetheus and going for the short-term gates.”