Robots Vs. Cyborgs

A few of you may look at that title and say “What’s the difference?” To that I say “Shame on you!” Also, the difference is that robots are entirely automaton machinations where cyborgs are cybernetic organisms, meaning they are half robot and half human. Suffice to say, both of these beings are sprinkled throughout the realm of science fiction. In this blog entry I am going to look at the pros and cons of each and the various ways they have been used in films, television and comics.

Now the benefit of exploring this particular match up is that I do not have to imagine what a fight between these two beings would be. There already exist several moments in science fiction where a cyborg and robot have squared off. Sometimes the robot is the hero, sometimes the cyborg. The first such encounter I can think of is the movie Robocop. In that moment we see the cyborg Robocop get defeated thoroughly in his first encounter with the robotic ED-209. While ultimately Robocop does triumph, his first battle with a robotic foe ends tragically.

On the reverse side there is Data, representing a robot (yes, I know, Data is an android, just give me a little leeway for my argument) on the side of the angels, versus the Borg. Now there is no way I could have an argument about robots and cyborgs without mentioning the Borg. The Borg are one of the ultimate villains in the Star Trek universe (at least on TNG and VGR). The Borg are a hive mind species that seek to add new biological and technological advances to their collective. They were first made aware of the Federation when the entity known as Q sent the Enterprise-D to the other end of the Galaxy. They then encountered the Borg several times over the course of the series. Each time Data was an important part of the plan to defeat the Borg. So in the case of the Borg versus Data, the edge goes to Data.

So far the score is one-one for cyborgs and robots. In each case it is ultimately whatever our hero is that determines who wins. So in order to figure out who would win in a battle between cyborgs and robots, the two beings need to be in a neutral setting. Now since the rules of fiction seem to dictate there is always a “good guy” and a “bad guy” (protagonist and antagonist for you professional writers). So we may never get the answer in film, comic or literature. So the ultimate outcome is left to me.

Both Cyborgs and Robots have particular strengths and weakness. Since both contain mechanical components they are already superior to an ordinary human. Although some robots are portrayed as being nearly indistinguishable from humans in their behavior, let us assume for the sake of argument that there are limits to their artificial intelligence. As portrayed in many versions, they lack the spark of creativity and the general human spirit that gives regular men the will to push themselves. A cyborg still has the human brain and thus the human spirit that comes with it. But a cyborg has the draw back of not being fully mechanical and still having vulnerable organic parts. A robot could conceivably repair itself and continue fighting, whereas a cyborg would need to wait for its organic components to heal, if in fact they heal at all.

If medical science is to be believed, it will be feasible to replace our damaged limbs and organs in the future with artificial ones. But in the field of robots we are already seeing miniature robots that can learn and react to situations. Robotic drones are being used to find and eliminate targets in armed conflicts. As of yet there are no military applications for cybernetic enhancements. It seems if the real world is any example, it is the robots that will win the war between robot and cyborg.