Robotic Nation Evidence

Robots as Human Actors

After millions of years of natural selection, humans beings have some serious competition for their lofty perch on the evolutionary ladder--and the challenger has only been evolving for less than a decade. Some computer artists contend that anything we can do, "virtual humans" can do better, and they're poised to revolutionize moviemaking with a new species that doesn't require an astronomical salary, works around the clock without complaint, and lives quietly on a hard drive between death-defying stunts. A generation of computer-generated (CG) characters, called "synthespians" or "vactors," are attracting notice in Hollywood. Some insiders envision a future when digital stars compete for roles with the flesh-and-blood variety. While a photoreal digital actor has yet to carry a major motion picture, synthespians have captured supporting roles for some time now, whenever the going gets too tough or too expensive.