Why you should think deeply about this yoga-coaching robot from CES 2017

If AI is the big theme to emerge at CES this year, then Lynx, a robot that uses amazon’s Alexa voice control system has one of the most intriguing applications of it.

Amongst its uses, it can coach you through a series of Yoga positions. See for yourself the demo given to the BBC’s Rory Cellan Jones. Physically, Lynx suffers somewhat from lack of suppleness and creaky joints, but in coaching people to practice an ancient form of physical, mental and spiritual discipline, it strikes at the heart of what it means to be human in a world increasingly permeated by technology.

Azeem Azhar writes compellingly on the subject, and posited that at the same time that technology is impacting our world in so many ways, so too are we beginning to question its purpose and impact. He points to the increase in interest in the intangibles that make us who we are — see below his chart mapping the rise in interest in mindfulness over the past 2 decades.

So what can we learn from the emergence of Lynx, the yoga-coaching robot?

• That AI will forge ever more intimate relationships between humans and machines — showing how tech’s place in our lives will move from tool to coach to companion
• That AI-empowered robots will herald a new age in learning and education — enabling us to learn through doing, to do more, to be more
• But also, that AI is now beginning to scratch at the very essence of what it is to be human.

The combination of AI and robotics takes the conceptual and physical presence of technology in our lives to a new level. This means a vast array of opportunities to create value — on both a commercial and a human level. But we should pursue them with eyes open, understanding where they might lead, and how they might fundamentally change our understanding of who we are.