Robohub.org
 

MPs are told the word ‘robot’ is not derogatory, but only if it’s an intelligent one | Independent


by
25 November 2015



share this:

MPs have been told that calling an opponent “robot” is not a derogatory term – but only if they are referring to a “high functioning intelligent robot”. The bizarre row over whether the word was unparliamentary erupted during a debate on the renewal of Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent, led by the SNP.  After John Woodcock, a pro-Trident Labour MP, launched a scathing attack on the SNP’s record on education and health in Scotland, SNP MPs attempted to intervene. 

Hallie Siegel’s insight:
More peanuts, please.




Hallie Siegel robotics editor-at-large
Hallie Siegel robotics editor-at-large

            AUAI is supported by:



Subscribe to Robohub newsletter on substack



Related posts :

Reimagining robotics for sustainability

  18 Sep 2026
"Our ambition is not to simply make robots more sustainable; they must actively contribute to solving sustainability challenges."

Watch the ICRA keynote and plenary talks

  16 Sep 2026
If you missed the conference you can catch up on IEEE TV.

Building and programming autonomous robots at the York Micromaze Hackathon

and   11 Sep 2026
From 25–27 August, UK RAS STEPS members came together for a three-day Micromaze Robot Hackathon.

Robotics roadmaps from around the world spotlight of the month: United States of America

US robotics researchers and industry are looking for a cohesive national robotics strategy.

Could robots help tackle loneliness? BBC’s Ann Droid raises questions about the future of care

  07 Sep 2026
While the series exaggerates what robots can currently do, some of the technology it depicts is already being tested.

Exploring the Moon will require rovers that can think for themselves – an upcoming NASA mission will test whether they can

  04 Sep 2026
NASA is planning to send three small rovers to the Moon to autonomously compute how to best explore a patch of ground.

Surviving the paper deluge: Notes from an ICRA panel on publishing, LLMs, and the future of peer review

Experts discuss peer-review challenges and possibilities for reshaping the process.



AUAI is supported by:







Subscribe to Robohub newsletter on substack




 















©2026.05 - Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence