One hundred years since a hellish vision of technology spawned that fateful word: robot
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Simon for The Guardian stated like “Listen Josef,” said the Czech playwright Karel Čapek to his brother. “I have an idea for a play.”
Josef, an artist of some renown, was painting furiously and unimpressed by his brother’s intrusion. “What kind of play?” he asked, sharply. Karel set out the plot. In the future, humans have created synthetic, humanoid creatures to increase productivity in the factories and fight wars on the battlefield. Built as slave workers, they will eventually rise up and wipe out the human race.
Josef was indifferent to the idea. “Then write it!” he said. But Karel was stuck. He could not think of the appropriate word to describe his artificial workers. “Call them roboti,” said Josef. This was the Czech word for serf or forced labourer.
