Publication/Creation Date

November 29 2021

Creators/Contributors

Katie Hunt (creator)
Michael Levin (contributor)
Joshua Bongard (contributor)
Sam Kriegman (contributor)
Douglas Blackiston (contributor)
University Of Vermont (contributor)
Tufts University (contributor)
Harvard University (contributor)
Wyss Institute For Biologically Inspired Engineering (contributor)
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA (contributor)

Description

"The xenobots are very early technology -- think of a 1940s computer -- and don't yet have any practical applications. However, this combination of molecular biology and artificial intelligence could potentially be used in a host of tasks in the body and the environment, according to the researchers. This may include things like collecting microplastics in the oceans, inspecting root systems and regenerative medicine.

While the prospect of self-replicating biotechnology could spark concern, the researchers said that the living machines were entirely contained in a lab and easily extinguished, as they are biodegradable and regulated by ethics experts."

Technology Keywords

Robotics, Living Robots, Self-Replicating Robots, Biotechnology, Xenobots, Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Keywords

Futurism, Ethics, Biological, Research, Environment, Medical

Source

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/29/americas/xenobots-self-replicating-robots-scn/index.html