The Myth, the Machine, the Legend: the Robot

Artificial intelligence (AI) might be all the rage today but the philosophical questions it poses -- can machines replace humans, can AI and machines be trusted, and how can AI be used humanely?-- Greek mythology tackled such questions over 2,500 years ago. The myth of Talos tells of a giant bronze man forged by the god Hephaestus. Created to defend the island of Crete from unwanted visitors, Talos's "body had a single vein, which ran all the way from his neck to his ankle, sealed there with either a bronze nail or a thin membrane of skin." The Talos myth could be the first mention of robots in literature, but there are references to mechanical devices used to carry out a particular physical task that occurred around 3000 B.C., according to Stanford's A Robotic History.