[ TICKING ] >>> WHAT YOU ARE WATCHING IS THE BUILDING, ACTUALLY THE PRINTING, OF A FOUR-BEDROOM HOME.
ON THIS CONSTRUCTION SITE, THERE'S NO HAMMERING OR SAWING, JUST A NOZZLE SQUIRTING OUT CONCRETE, LAYING DOWN THE AWWAL
OF A HOUSE ONE LAYER AT A TIME. LOOK AT THIS. >> ONCE THIS TECHNOLOGY ARRIVES IN ITS FULL FORCE, I THINK IT
TRANSFORMS THE WAY WE BUILD. >> NOT JUST ON THE EARTH. >> THIS IS ACTUALLY THE MISSION THAT WE ARE SCHEDULED TO FLY.
>> NASA IS PARTNERING WITH JASON BALLARD'S COMPANY TO PIONEER 3D PRINTING ON THE MOON. [ TICKING IT ]
>>> THINK OF IT AS A POCKET THERAPIST. >> YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CONVERSE WITH IT JUST LIKE YOU WOULD WITH
A HUMAN BEING. >> AN APP THAT USES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO MANAGE PROBLEMS LIKE DEFREPRESSION AND ANXIETY.
>> THERE'S NEVER BEEN A GREATER NEED. THE TOOLS HAVE NEVER BEEN AS SOPHISTICATED AS THEY ARE.
>> REALLY? COMPUTER SIPSYCHIATRY? COME ON. >> I'M LESLEY STAHL.
>> I'M BILL WHITAKER. >> I'M SHARYN ALFONSI. >> I'M JON WERTHEIM. >> I'M CECILIA VEGA.
>> I'M SCOTT PELLEY. THOSE STORIES AND MORE TONIGHT ON "60 MINUTES." >>> THERE WAS A TIME WHEN
FUTURISTS WERE PREDICTING THAT THE ADVENT OF 3D PRINTING WAS GOING TO CHANGE OUR LIVES. THAT EACH OF OUR HOUSES WOULD
HAVE A 3D PRINTER TO MAKE WHATEVER ITEMS WE NEED. WHAT VIRTUALLY NO ONE PREDICTED WAS THAT THERE MIGHT SOON BE 3D
PRINTERS THAT COULD CONSTRUCT ALMOST THE ENTIRE HOUSE. BUT AS WE FIRST REPORTED LAST FALL, THAT'S JUST WHAT A
7-YEAR-OLD AUSTIN, TEXAS, COMPANY CALLED ICON IS DOING. 3D PRINTING BUILDINGS. IF YOU BELIEVE ICON'S MISSION
DRIVEN YOUNG FOUNDER, 3D PRINTING COULD REVOLUTIONIZE HOW WE BUILD, HELP CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND EVEN ALLOW US TO,
WAIT FOR IT, COLONIZE THE MOOD. SOUND OUT OF THIS WORLD? TAKE A LOOK. WHAT YOU ARE WATCHING IS THE
BUILDING, ACTUALLY THE PRINTING, OF A FOUR-BEDROOM HOME. THERE'S NO HAMMERING OR SAWING. JUST A NOZZLE SQUIRTING OUT
CONCRETE, KIND OF LIKE AN OVERSIZED SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM DISPENSER, LAYING DOWN THE WALLS OF A HOUSE ONE LAYER AT A TIME.
IT'S THE BRAINCHILD OF A 41-YEAR-OLD TEXAN WHO IS RARELY WITHOUT HIS COWBOY HAT, JASON BALLARD.
3:00 3D PRINTIN A HOG A HOUSE. THIS HOUSE WAS PRINTED? >> YES, MA'AM.
>> LOOK AT THIS. SO WAS THIS ONE. DOES A CONCRETE HOME PRINTED BY A ROBOT HAVE TO LOOK COLD AND
INDUSTRIAL? MAYBE NOT. I LIKE THE CURVED WALL. BALLARD GAVE US A PEEK AT THE
FIRST COMPLETED MODEL HOME IN THE FIRST LARGE COMMUNITY OF 3D PRINTED HOUSES, 100 OF THEM. PART OF A HUGE NEW DEVELOPMENT
NORTH OF AUSTIN. THEY WILL START IN THE HIGH $400,000 RANGE. HOW EXACTLY DOES 3D PRINTING A
HOUSEWORK? IT STARTS WITH THIS 1.5 TON OF SACK DRY CONCRETE POWDER WHICH GETS MIXED WITH WATER, SAND AND
ADDITIVES, AND IS THEN PUMPED TO THE ROBOTIC PRINTER. >> YOU ARE LOOKING AT HOW WE CONTROL THE BEAD SIZE.
>> CONNER JENKINS, THE MANAGER OF CONSTRUCTION, EXPLAINS THE PRINTER COMPLETES ONE LAYER, CALL AID B BEAD, EVERY 30 MINUT
BY WHICH TIME IT'S HARDENED ENOUGH TO BE READY FOR THE NEXT BEAD. STEEL IS ADDED EVERY TENTH LAYER
FOR STRENGTH. IT TAKES ABOUT TWO WEEKS TO PRINT THE FULL 160 BEAD HOUSE. JEFRPG EN
JENKINS GAVE ME THE CONTROLS, AN iPAD. >> THAT'S A LITTLE SKINNY. PRESS THE PLUS ONE REAL QUICK.
DONE. YOU JUST INCREASED THE BEAD SIZE. >> I WOULD BE WORRIED IF YOU
WERE YOU. THE PATH IS ENTIRELY PREPROGRAMMED. I COULDN'T MESS IT UP IF I
TRIED. DON'T TELL THE PEOPLE. >> THAT'S THE MOST GORGEOUS BEAD I HAVE EVER SEEN.
THIS WILL BE THE HIGHEST SELLING HOUSE. >> AS JASON BALLARD SHOWS US, ICON IS ONLY 3D PRINTING WALLS.
WITH CUTOUTS FOR PLUMBING AND ELECTRICITY. ROOFS, WINDOWS AND INSULATION ARE ADDED THE OWED-FASHIONED
WAY, BY CONSTRUCTION WORKERS. HE CALLS IT A PARADIGM SHIFT. >> IT'S LIKE A WRIGHT BROTHERS MOMENT.
>> IN HOW WE CONSTRUCT HOUSING. WHY DO WE NEED A SHIFT LIKE THAT? >> RIGHT NOW, IT IS TOO
EXPENSIVE, IT FALLS OVER IN A HURRICANE IT BURNS UP IN A FIRE, EAT BIN EN BY TERMITES. TRIM ON LABOR.
IT'S COOKIE CUTTER DEVELOPMENTS. WE ARE NOT SUCCEEDING. IT'S AN ECOLOGICAL DISASTER. IT'S EXISTENTIALLY URGENT THAT
WE SHELTER OURSELVES WITHOUT RUINING THE PLANET WE HAVE TO LIVE ON. FIRE RESISTANCE, FLOOD
RESISTANCE. >> HE SHOWED OF A 3D PRINTED WALL APRIL A CONVENTIONAL ONE. >> WHAT YOU HAVE -- COUNT THE
MATERIAL. SIDING, ONE, MOISTURE BARRIER, TWO. SHEATHING THREE.
STUD FOUR. DRYWALL FIVE. FLOAT, TAPE AND TEMPERATSTI TEX THREE.
YOU HAVE HALF A DOZEN STEPS TO DELIVER A WALL. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT WASTE. OVER HERE.
>> THE END OF CONSTRUCTING, THERE ARE TRUCKLOADS OF WASTE LEFT OVER. THE STUDS HAVE OFF CUTS.
SAME WITH SIDING. SAME WITH DRYWALL. >> WITH 3D PRINTING, HE SAYS, YOU ONLY PRINT WHAT YOU NEED.
>> IF AN ALIEN SAW THE TWO WAYS OF BUILDING AND SAID, FROM FIRST PRINCIPLE, WHICH IS BETTER, THE AIL LIEN WOULD GO, STRONGER,
FASTER, TERMITE RESISTANT, THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO BUILD. >> OLD-SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION WORKERS MAY DISAGREE.
IF HE SOUNDS LIKE A REVVED UP SALESMAN OR A PREACHER, THERE'S A REASON. HE GREW UP IN EAST TEXAS, A
STUDIOUS, OUTDOORSY, SPIRITUAL KID, FIRST IN HIS FAMILY TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE. YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT BECOMING
A PRIEST. >> ALMOST. GETTING THIS ITCH ABOUT HOUSING NOT BEING RIGHT.
I STUDIED CONSERVATION. I WORKED AT THE HOMELESS SHELTER. I'M THINKING ABOUT HOMELESSNESS.
I'M WORK, WITH ING IN SUSTAINAB BUILDING. I HAVE TO HELP MY BUILDING PULL DRYWALL.
LIFE IS PUTTING HOUSING IN FRONT OF ME. I HAVE BEEN APPROVED TO GO TO SEMINARY.
I GO TO MY BISHOP OF TEXAS, ANDY DOYLE. I SAID, WHAT DO I DO? AT THE END HE SAID, JASON, I
WANT YOU TO PURSUE THIS HOUSING THING. THIS IS YOUR PRIESTHOOD. THIS IS YOUR VOCATION.
IF IT DOESN'T WORK OUT, THE CHURCH HAS BEEN HERE, WE WILL BE HERE. >> THAT MUST HAVE TURNED THE
SWITCH FOR YOU. >> IT DID. IT MADE IT MORE THAN A HOBBY OR BUSINESS.
IT BECAME A MISSION. >> HE BEGAN PURSUING THAT MISSION WITH EVAN LOOMIS, A BUDDY FROM TEXAS A&M WHO HAD
GONE INTO FINANCE. >> AS WE LOOKED AT IT, NOBODY HAD INCORPORATED THE HOLY TRINITY OF INNOVATION TO
HOUSING. WHICH WAS ROBOTICS, ADVANCED MATERIALS AND SOFTWARE. >> IN A BAR ORROWED WHITE HOUSED
HAVING READ EVERYTHING THEY COULD FIND ABOUT THE MECHANICS OF 3D PRINTING, THEY TRIED TO DESIGN A 3D PRINTER THAT COULD
MAKE A BUILDING. HOW BIG WAS IT? >> IT WAS TEN FEET BY TEN FEET BY TEN FEET.
IT WOULD HAVE PRINTED -- IF WE GOT IT TO WORK, IF WE DID NOT IT WOULD HAVE PRINTED A 100 SQUARE FOOT DEMONSTRATION BUILDING.
>> THEY DIDN'T GET IT TO WORK. ENTER ALEX LE ROUX, HE WAS TINKERING WITH A SIMILAR IDEA. DID YOU EVER ACTUALLY BUILD
ANYTHING? >> YEAH. I DID. >> WHAT WAS IT?
>> A PRINTED SHED. IT WAS A BIG MILESTONE. >> IT'S A STRUCTURE. >> THE THREE CO-FOUNDED ICON IN
2017 AND SOON GOT FUNDING TO PRINT A SMALL HOUSE TO UNVEIL AT AUSTIN'S SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FESTIVAL THE FOLLOWING SPRING.
THEY BUILT A NEW, LARGER PRINTER THAT WORKED. >> WE GOT EXCITED. >> JASON, WHERE ARE WE?
>> WE ARE PRINTING THE WORLD'S FIRST PERMITTED 3D PRINTED HOUSE. >> THE KINKS HADN'T QUITE BEEN
WORKED OUT. >> AT ONE POINT, WE RAN THE PRINTER INTO THE PRINT. >> EXPLAIN THAT.
>> IT'S SUPPOSED TO GO UP. IT WENT DOWN AND DROVE INTO THE HOUSE. PUSHED LAYERS OFF.
>> FUNNY NOW, BUT NOT SO MUCH AT THE TIME. >> ENGINEERS, FOLKS HELPING US, SAT US DOWN AND SAID, IT'S BEEN
A GREAT EFFORT. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET THERE. GET SOME REST. WE WERE BASICALLY LIKE, GET OUT
OF HERE. ANYONE WHO WANTS TO FINISH THIS HOME MAY STAY. EVERYONE ELSE NEEDS TO LEAVE.
>> THE THREE OF YOU ALL AGREED ON THAT? >> YEAH. >> WE KNEW WE WERE ON TO
SOMETHING. THIS WAS OUR SHOT. WE WEREN'T GOING TO MISS IT. >> ALEX.
>> THEY WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK AND MADE THE FESTIVAL DEADLINE BY JUST HOURS. >> ANY WORD FOR THE VICTORY LAP?
>> NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP. >> I STAND BY THOSE WORDS. NEVER GIVE UP.
>> HE SHOWED THE 350 SQUARE FOOT FINISHED HOUSE. IT'S A SMALL HOUSE. BUT IT'S ELEGANT.
>> IT'S NOT SO BAD. I THINK THAT'S HOW PEOPLE FELT ABOUT IT. BETTER THAN THEY EXPECTED.
IT WAS EASY TO BELIEVE, THEY WILL GET BETTER. >> THAT SMALL HOUSE WON ICON A LOT OF ATTENTION.
AN INNOVATION AWARD. INVESTORS. MEETINGS WITH THE MILITARY. AND WITH ANOTHER AUSTIN
INNOVATOR, ALAN GRAHAM WHO CREATED A VILLAGE CALLED COMMUNITY FIRST THAT PROVIDES SMALL HOMES TO SEVERAL HUNDRED
OF THE FORMERLY HOMELESS. >> OUR GOAL WAS THE MOST DESPISE DESPIDESPISE DESPISED OUTLASTS.
AVERAGE TIME ON THE STREET IS NINE YEARS. AVERAGE AGE MUCH DEATH IS 59. >> IT'S A MIRACLE OUT THERE.
WHEN WE WERE READY TO BUILD HOMES, ONE OF THE FIRST ORGANIZATIONS WE REACHED OUT TO WAS ALAN GRAHAM.
>> ICON 3D PRINTED A WELCOME CENTER. THEN SIX SMALL HOUSES FOR VILLAGE RESIDENTS.
THAT'S HOW 73-YEAR-OLD TIM SHEA, WHO BATTLED HEROIN ADDICTION FOR DECADES, IN 2020 BECAME THE FIRST PERSON IN THIS COUNTRY TO
LIVE IN A 3D PRINTED HOME. BEFORE I SAW THE HOUSES, I THOUGHT, IT MUST BE COLD. YOU ARE SHAKING BECAUSE YOU
DON'T THINK THAT. >> NO. IT'S THE OPPOSITE. YOU FEEL EMBRACED.
EM EMVEL LOP EM -- ENVELOPED. >> HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEY
WERE THE FIRST. >> THE FIRST PERSON IN NORTH AMERICA TO LIVE IN A 3D PRINTED HOUSE WAS HOMELESS.
>> YEAH. I KNOW. ISN'T THAT SOMETHING? >> THE YEARS SINCE HAVE SEEN
TREMENDOUS GROWTH. A NEW FACTORY. A FACILITY CALLED PRINTLAND TO EXPERIMENT WITH NEW DESIGNS.
ICON HAS PRINTED SMALL HOMES IN RURAL MEXICO, VEHICLE HIDE STRUCTURES FOR THE MARINE E IC BARRACKS AND HOMES WITH WAIVE W
HOMES THAT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE IF BUILD TRADITIONALLY. IN YOUR MIND, IS YOUR CUSTOMER A HOMELESS PERSON OR IS YOUR
CUSTOMER ME? >> THERE'S A TRICK HERE. WHAT OUR HEART WANTS DO IS TO SERVE THE VERY POOR.
IT'S CONFUSING FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND. I THOUGHT YOU WERE HELPING HOMELESSNESS.
I WOULD RESIGN IF I WAS ONLY ALLOWED TO BUILD LUXURY HOMES. WE WOULD GO BANKRUPT RIGHT NOW IF ALL WE BUILT WAS 3% MARGIN
HOMES FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE. ONCE THIS ARRIVES IN ITS FULL FORCE, I THINK IT TRANSFORMS THE WAY WE BUILD.
>> NOT JUST ON THE EARTH. 3D PRINTING ON THE MOON WHEN WE COME BACK. >>> IT HAS BEEN A STAPLE OF
SCIENCE FICTION FOREVER. HUMANS LIVING AND WORKING ON THE MOON. BUT FOR NASA, THAT DREAM IS
ALMOST WITHIN REACH. THEIR NEW ARTEMIS PROGRAM PLANS TO RETURN AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS TO THE MOON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
MORE THAN 50 YEARS. THIS TIME, NOT JUST TO VISIT, BUT EVENTUALLY TO STAY AND EVEN USE THE MOON AS A BASE FOR
EPLORING MARS AND BEYOND. BUT STAYING ON THE MOON REQUIRES INFRASTRUCTURE, LANDING PADS, ROADS, HOUSING.
AND YOU CAN'T EXACTLY BRING TWO BY FOURS AND SHEETROCK ON A SPACECRAFT. THAT'S WHERE 3D PRINTING COMES
IN. NASA IS PARTNERING WITH JASON BALLARD'S COMPANY ICON TO PIONEER 3D PRINTING ON THE MOON.
>> THREE, TWO, ONE. LIFTOFF OF ARTEMIS. >> IN LATE 2022, NASA LAUNCHED THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF ARTEMIS
MISSIONS. THE NEXT, WITH CREW ON BOARD, IS NOW SCHEDULED FOR LATE 2025. BY THE END OF THE DECADE, AN
ICON PRINTER IS SUPPOSED TO FLY TO THE MOON TO TEST PRINT PART OF A LANDING PAD. JASON BALLARD, WHO ONCE APPLIED
TO BECOME AN ASTRONAUT BUT WAS REJECTED, CAN'T WAIT. >> IF THE SCHEDULE HOLDS OR APPROXIMATELY HOLDS, THE FIRST
OBJECT BUILT ON ANOTHER WORLD IS BUILT WITH ICON HARDWARE. >> HE WANTS ICON TO BE THE FIRST COMPANY TO MAKE SOMETHING ON
ANOTHER WORLD. >> SO DO WE. >> AT MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, NASA SCIENTIST JENNIFER
EDMUNDSON AND CORKY CLINTON RUN A PROGRAM CALLED MMPACT. >> YOU PEOPLE AT NASA, YOU COME UP
WITH THESE VERY, VERY LONG NAMES. >> THAT'S WHY WE CALL IT MMPACT. >> THE KEY WORD THERE IS
AUTONOMOUS. >> WE WANT TO MAKE STRUCTURES THAT WE NEED WITHOUT HAVING TO BE TENDED BY ASTRONAUTS.
>> IF YOU HAVE A TRULY SUSTAINABLE PRESENCE ON A LUNAR SURFACE, YOU HAVE TO BE AN EARTH INDEPENDENT AS POSSIBLE.
>> NASA WAS INTERESTED IN 3D PRINTING HAVING LOOKED AT AN EARLY VERSION ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO.
WHEN THEY HEARD ABOUT THE PROGRESS ICON HAD MADE WITH THEIR FIRST HOUSES IN AUSTIN, CORKY CLINTON TRAVELED THERE TO
TAKE A LOOK. >> BEING AN ENGINEER, I SPENT A LOT OF MY TIME GOING AROUND AND LOOKING AT THE SIZE OF THE BEADS
AND HOW THEY WENT AROUND THE COR S CORNERS. I WAS IMPRESSED.
>> IMPRESSED ENOUGH THAT NASA GAVE ICON DEVELOPMENT MONEY IN 2020 AND THEN TWO YEARS LATER, A $57 MILLION CONTRACT.
>> WELCOME TO SPACELAB. THIS IS WHERE WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO BUILD ON OTHER WORLDS. >> BALLARD AND EVAN JENSEN
EXPLAIN THE FUNDAMENTAL CHALLENGE. >> TO BRING AN OBJECT ROUGHLY THIS SIZE FROM EARTH TO THE MOON
SURFACE WOULD BE $1 MILLION. THINK -- >> WAIT. THAT SIZE WOULD BE $1 MILLION?
>> CORRECT. WITH CURRENT TECHNOLOGY, THIS WOULD TAKE $1 MILLION TO DELIVER TO THE LUNAR SURFACE.
THINK OF HOW MANY WE WOULD NEED. WE WILL NEVER HAVE A MOON BASE IF WE BRING EVERYTHING WITH US. IT WAS OKAY DURING THE APOLLO
PROGRAM TO BRING THINGS WITH US. WE WEREN'T STAYING. WE WERE COMING HOME. IF WE WANT TO STAY, WE HAVE TO
LEARN TO LIVE OFF THE LAND. >> YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO BUILD IT THERE AND USE THE MATERIALS FROM THERE.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. >> THAT'S NO EASY FEAT. IT MEANS USING WHAT'S CALLED LUNAR REGOLITH WHICH COVERS THE
SURFACE RATHER THAN CONCRETE AND WATER. >> REGOLITH IS MADE UP OF ROCK THAT HAS BEEN PUMMELLED OVER
BILLIONS OF YEARS. >> IS IT LIKE SAND? >> IT'S FINER THAN SAND. >> ICON HAS A TUB FULL OF
SIMULATED MOON REGOLITH. THEY INVENTED AND BUILD A ROBOTIC SYSTEM TO 3D PRINT WITH IT.
YOU WILL BUILD ALL THOSE ROADS AND BUILDINGS OUT OF THIS? >> THAT'S CORRECT. THE ROBOTS WILL.
>> THIS IS ACTUALLY THE MISSION THAT WE WERE SCHEDULED TO FLY. >> AS HE POINTED OUT IN THIS RENDERING --
>> OUR ROBOTIC ARM WITH OUR LASER SYSTEM -- >> THEY HAVE CREATED A WHOLE NEW WAY TO 3D PRINT WITH LASERS.
INSTEAD OF A NOZZLE SQUIRTING OUT SOFT CONCRETE, A HIGH INTENSITY LASER BEAM WILL MELT THE RE
THE REGOLITH. THEY ARE RUNNING EXPERIMENTS NOW USING THE LASER TO CREATE A SMALL SAMPLE.
>> ONCE THE RED LIGHT IS ON, WE ARE HOT. LOTS OF POWER. HERE WE GO.
>> WE WATCHED ON MONITORS AS THE ARM GOT INTO POSITION. >> THERE'S THE LASER. >> THAT WHITE THING IS THE
LASER. >> IT'S MELTING RIGHT NOW. IT'S GOING UP TO 1,500 DEGREES CELSIUS.
>> IT WILL COMPLETE ITS SECOND PASS. YOU CAN SEE IT EMERGING. SEE THE DARK OBJECT?
THAT'S THE OBJECT WE MADE WITH THE LASER. >> THEY CAN ADD MORE REGOLITH AND LASER AGAIN AND AGAIN TO
BUILD IN LAYERS TO GO AS HIGH AS THEY WANT, WHICH WILL BE DONE REMOTELY FROM EARTH. IT TAKES HOURS TO COOL.
SO THEY SHOWED ME A SAMPLE THEY MADE DAYS EARLIER. THIS IS PRETTY DARN HARD. >> THAT'S OUR LANDING PAD.
>> I'M HOLDING THE LANDING PAD. >> THAT'S RIGHT. >> IT'S PRETTY COOL. THAT' A SCIENTIFIC TERM.
ICON SENDS THEM TO NASA WHERE THEY ARE BLASTED WITH A SPECIAL PLASMA TORCH. >> IT'S ABOUT 4,000 DEGREES.
>> TO SEE IF THEY CAN TAKE THE HEAT A LANDING PAD WOULD HAVE TO WITHSTAND. THERE IT IS.
THE TORCH IS SO BRIGHT, YOU HAVE TO WATCH ON A MONITOR. >> THAT WAS IT. >> A FEW MINUTES LATER, OUT IT
CAME. IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT WARM. >> LOOKS GOOD TO ME. I DON'T SEE ANY LOSS OF
MATERIAL. I DON'T SEE ANY CRATERING. >> IT SURVIVED THE TEST? >> PASSED THE TEST WITH FLYING
COLORS. >> THE NEXT TEST WILL BE OPERATING THE ENTIRE ROBOTIC ARM AND LASER.
>> WE WILL PUT IN A LARGE-SCALE SUM SIM OOH SIMULANT BED.
>> THIS IS LIKE -- >> BALLARD'S IDEA IS TO SEND MOBILE 3D PRINTERS TO THE MOON. >> THIS MOVES THE PRINTER
AROUND. >> WITH A LONGER ROBOTIC ARM STICKING OUT OF THE TOP TO PRINT WHATEVER IS NEEDED.
>> THEY WOULD BUILD THE ROAD. >> IT WOULDN'T STOP THERE. >> WE CAN DO IT ON MARS. THE MOON IS HARDER.
MARS IS ALMOST IN EVERY WAY EASIER EXCEPT IT'S SO FAR AWAY. >> EASIER, THEY AGREE, BECAUSE FOR ONE THING, MARS DOESN'T HAVE
EXTREME TEMPERATURE SWINGS. STILL IN MY MIND, IT'S SCIENCE FICTION. IN YOUR MINDS, IT'S ABSOLUTELY
IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND. IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. >> WE CAN SEE THE STEPS AND TECHNOLOGY TO GET US THERE.
>> THAT'S THRILLING. >> IT'S EXCITING. >> QUALITY CAN'T GO BACKWARDS IN BLOCK 4.
>> ICON SAYS TRYING TO 3D PRINT ON THE MOON AND MARS IS HELPING WITH THEIR WORK HERE ON EARTH. THEY ARE FORMULATING NEW MIXES
TO REDUCE THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF THEIR CONCRETE. >> WE THINK WE WILL BE THERE BY END OF YEAR.
>> THEY ARE TRYING OUT MORE RADICAL ARCHITECTURE. >> COMPLEX SHAPES AND GEOMETRY. >> PATTERNED WALLS.
>> THIS IS A THING THAT A CUSTOMER DID. >> DRAMATIC FLARES. AS WITH THIS PERFORMING ARTS
PAVILION IN AUSTIN. AND THEY ARE WORKING ON TEST PRINTING DOMES. >> THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT
ARCHES, DOMES THAT LIFT THE HUMAN SPIRIT. THEY ARE TOO EXPENSIVE. THEY ARE SO EXPENSIVE, USUALLY
ONLY SEE THEM IN CIVIC OR RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS. >> DOMES. >> I SEE THE FACE YOU ARE
MAKING. EVERY HUMAN BEING LOVES BEING IN ONE OF THOSE. >> THEY ARE GORGEOUS.
>> WHAT IF HAVING THOSE WAS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE AND IT WAS FASTER AND CHEAPER THAN THE ROOFS WE HAVE TODAY?
>> THIS YEAR, AS IN THE RENDERINGS, THEY WILL BE PRINTING ROUND HOTEL ROOMS IN TEXAS.
THESE ARE ROOMS THAT YOU WOULD STAY IN? >> YES. IT CONTINUES INTO THE ROOM
ITSELF AND CREATING THE STAIRWAY ON A BED PLATFORM. >> THEY WILL BE PRINTING FUTURISTIC LOOKING DESIGNER
HOMES. >> A BEDROOM ON THAT END WITH A SHOWER. A BEDROOM HERE.
HERE IS RENDERINGS OF THE INTERIOR. IT GETS YOU GOING. DOESN'T IT?
>> DO YOU THINK IT WILL EVER BE POSSIBLE TO PRINT OUT A 20-STORY APARTMENT BUILDING OR EVEN A SKYSCRAPER?
>> YES. IN FACT, THE ARCHITECTURE FOR OUR NEXT GENERATION OF PRINTER WILL BE LIKE MORE OR LESS
PREPARED FOR THAT. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I WOULD LIKE TO FORMALLY INTRODUCE YOU TO THE NEXT GENERATION PRINT
SYSTEM, PHOENIX. >> JUST THIS SPRING, AT AUSTIN'S SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FESTIVAL, BALLARD UNVEILED THE NEXT
GENERATION OF PRINTER CALLED PHOENIX. >> BY A MILE, THIS IS THE MOST SOPHISTICATED AND CHALLENGING
ENGINEERING WE HAVE EVER ATTEMPTED. THIS IS LIKE OUR VERSION OF LANDING ROCKETS.
>> IT'S A ROBOT WITH A SINGLE 75-FOOT LONG ARM SIMILAR IN DESIGN TO THE ONE ICON IS DEVELOPING FOR THE MOON, WHICH
THEY SAY ENABLES PRINTING MULTIPLE STORY BUILDINGS, ALLOWS FOR GREATER FLEXIBILITY, AND CAN PRINT FASTER THAN THEIR CURRENT
PRINTERS, WHICH WILL STILL BE BUSY. IN ANOTHER PARTNERSHIP WITH GRAHAM, ICON IS BREAKING GROUND
ON A 100 MORE 3D PRINTED HOMES FOR THE FORMERLY HOMELESS AT COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE. A LOT OF WHAT HE IS DOING HERE
IS GOOD FOR PR. HOW MUCH IS GENUINE AND HOW MUCH IS JUST DOING THINGS TO PROMOTE HIS BUSINESS?
>> WELL, I THINK 100% IS GENUINE. I THINK 100% IS PROMOTING HIS BUSINESS.
HE BELIEVES THAT THEY ARE ON THE CUSP OF TECHNOLOGY THAT'S GOING TO HAVE A DRAMATIC IMPACT ON THE WORLD.
OTHERWISE, I DON'T THINK HE WOULD BE DOING IT. >> YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF HUMAN
SUFFERING EVERY YEAR AND FIVE YEAR AS AND DECADE WHERE WE ARE NOT GETTING SHELTERS RIGHT. THERE ARE OVER A BILLION
UNDERSHELTERED PEOPLE. IF WE BUILD A MILLION HOMES A YEAR, IT WOULD TAKE 1,000 YEARS. THAT IS 950 YEARS TOO LONG.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST FOUNDATIONAL THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO GET RIGHT OR THE FUTURE CANNOT BE EXCITING.
FORGET ALL THE OTHER STUFF. YOU MIGHT GET FLYING CARS. THE FUTURE CANNOT BE EXCITING IF WE DON'T GET HUMAN SHELTER
RIGHT. >> WE ARE LIVING AT A TIME WHERE A LOT OF CEOs HAVE BEEN CAUGHT OVERPROMISING, HYPING, THINKING
OF THERANOS -- >> YOU ARE RIGHT. IT'S A TOUGHER THING THAT YOU KNOW.
PART OF THE JOB IS TO GET YOUR INVESTORS, GET YOUR TEAM AND IN OUR CASE THE WORLD TO BELIEVE THE THINGS YOU ARE SAYING.
EXCEPT, THE THINGS YOU ARE SAYING DON'T EXIST YET. YOU NEED TO GET THEM TO BELIEVE. IT'S HARD TO KNOW, EVEN IN THIS
INTERVIEW, I HAVEN'T TOLD YOU ALL THE THINGS I BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO DO. I'M LIKE MEASURING MYSELF.
>> GIVE US ONE EXAMPLE. SOMETHING WILD. >> I MEAN, IN THE FUTURE, I THINK MOST BUILDINGS WILL BE
DESIGNED BY AI, MOST PRODUCTS WILL BE RUN BY SOFTWARE, AND ALMOST EVERYTHING WILL BE BUILT BY ROBOTS.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S THAT FAR AWAY. >> MY AGE, FIND THAT VERY DEPRESSING.
I'M SURE YOUNG PEOPLE DON'T. >> THAT WORLD, HOUSING WILL BE MORE ABUNDANT, MORE AFFORDABLE, MORE BEAUTIFUL.
IT WILL MAKE THIS VERSION OF HOUSING LOOK DEPRESSING BY EXAMPLE. >> YOU KNOW THAT EXPRESSION, IF
IT SEEMS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT IS? >> OR -- I DO KNOW THAT EXPRESSION.
CARS AND AIRPORTS AND MOON LANDINGS SEEMED TO GOOD TO BE TRUE. MAYBE THE ONLY PROOF IS I'M
BETTING MY LIFE ON IT. I HAVE THIS ONE PRECIOUS LIFE TO LIVE. I'M USING IT TO DO THIS.
IF I COULD THINK OF A BETTER WAY, I WOULD DO THAT INSTEAD. I WOULD GO FISHING. >> YOU LIKE FISHING?
>> I LOVE FISHING. [ TICKING ] [ TICKING ] >>> NOW, DR. JON LAPOOK, ON
ASSIGNMENT FOR "60 MINUTES REQUEST THMINUTES ." >> AS WE FIRST REPORTED THIS PAST SPRING, AI IS PROBING THAT
MOST HUMAN OF PLACES, OUR SEE PSYCHES. YOU AND A CHATBOT AVAILABLE 24/7 ON YOUR SMARTPHONE.
THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF HUMAN THERAPISTS AND A GROWING NUMBER OF POTENTIAL PATIENTS. CHATBOTS ARE DESIGNED TO HELP
FILL THAT GAP BY GIVING THEY'RTHEY RE THERAPISTS A NEW TOOL. LIKE HUMAN THERAPISTS NOT ALL
CHAT BBOTS ARE EQUAL. SOME CAN HELP HEAL. SOME CAN BE INEFFECTIVE OR WORSE.
ONE PIONEER IN THE FIELD WHO HAS HAD SUCCESS IS ALISON DAR HAVE I. >>
>>. >> IT'S NOT ABOUT HOW CAN WE GET PEOPLE IN THE CLINIC. IT'S HOW CAN WE GET TOOLS OUT OF
THE CLINIC AND INTO THE HANDS OF PEOPLE. >> ALISON DARCY DECIDED TO USING HER BACKGROUND TO BUILD
SOMETHING SHE BELIEVES CAN HELP PEOPLE IN NEED, A MENTAL HEALTH CHATBOT SHE NAMED WOEBOT. >>
IT'S AN APP ON YOUR PHONE, A PACKET THERAPIST USES THE TECH TO HELP DEPRESSION, AFRNXIETY A ADDICTION AND DO IT ON THE RUN.
PEOPLE THINK, REALLY? COME ON. >> WELL, I THINK IT'S SO INTERESTING THAT OUR FIELD
HASN'T HAD A GREAT DEAL OF INNOVATION SINCE THE BASIC ARCHITECTURE WAS LAID DOWN BY FREUD.
THAT'S THE IDEA OF TWO PEOPLE IN A ROOM. THAT'S NOT HOW WE LIVE OUR LIVES TODAY.
WE HAVE TO MODERNIZE PSYCHOTHERAPY. >> HE WOWOEBOT IS TRAINED ON SPECIALIZED DATA TO HELP IT
RECOGNIZE WORDS, PHRASE AND EMOJIS. MIMICKING A TYPE OF IN-PERSON TALK THERAPY CALLED COGNITIVE
BEHAVIORAL THERAPY. >> IT'S HARD TO FIND A CBT PRACTITIONER. ALSO, IF YOU ARE ACTUALLY NOT BY
THE SIDE OF YOUR PATIENT WHEN THEY ARE STRUGGLING TO GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING, OR AT 2:00 A.M. WHEN THEY CAN'T SLEEP
AND FEELING PANICKED, THEN WE ARE LEAVING CLINICAL VALUE ON THE TABLE. >> FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GO TO
A THERAPIST, THERE ARE BARRIERS, RIGHT? >> SADLY, THE BIGGEST IS STIGMA. THERE'S INSURANCE, THERE'S COST.
THERE'S WAIT LISTS. THIS PROBLEM HAS ONLY GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THE PANDEMIC.
IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE GOING AWAY. >> SINCE WOEBOT WENT LIVE IN 2017, THE COMPANY REPORTS 1.5
MILLION PEOPLE HAVE USED IT. WHICH YOU CAN NOW ONLY DO WITH AN EMPLOYER BENEFIT PLAN OR ACCESS FROM A HEALTH
PROFESSIONAL. AT VIRTUA HEALTH, A HEALTH CARE COMPANY IN NEW JERSEY, PATIENTS CAN USE IT FREE OF CHARGE.
>> YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CONVERSE WITH IT LIKE YOU WOULD WITH A HUMAN BEING. >> WE DOWNLOADED IT, ENTERED A
UNIQUE CODE THAT CAN ONLY BE PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY, AND TRIED IT OUT. >> WE FOUND FOR PEOPLE TO
CONNECT WITH THEIR MOOD, WE OFFER EMOJIS WHICH ALLOWS PEOPLE TO CONNECT IN A NON-VERBAL WAY. >> I POSED AT SOMEONE DEPRESSED.
AFTER SEVERAL PROMPTS, WOE DID THE THE THEWOEBOLT WANTED TO KNOW WHY I
WAS UPSET. >> IMAGINE WHAT YOUR NEGATIVE EMOTIONS WOULD SAY IF THEY HAD A VOICE.
CAN YOU DO THAT? WRITE ONE OF THE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS HERE. >> I WILL JUMP THAT BRIDGE WHEN
I COME TO IT. THE CHATBOT DETECTED SOMETHING MIGHT BE WRONG. I'M HEARING YOU SAY I CAN'T DO
ANYTHING ABOUT IT, I WILL JUMP THAT BRIDGE. I THINK YOU MIGHT NEED MORE SUPPORT.
I CAN OFFER YOU. WOULD YOU LIKE TO LOOK AT HELPLINES? >> IT'S NOT OUR JOB TO SAY YOU
ARE IN CRISIS OR NOT. AI CAN'T REALLY DO THAT IN THIS CONTEXT VERY WELL YET. WHAT IT CAUGHT, THERE'S
SOMETHING CONCERNING ABOUT THE WAY THAT JON PHRASED THAT. >> SAYING OWN JUMP THAT BRIDGE AND NOT LINING IT WITH, I CAN'T
DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT NOW, DID NOT TRIGGER A SUGGESTION TO CONSIDER GETTING FURTHER HELP. LIKE A HUMAN THERAPIST, WOEBOT
IS NOT FOOLPROOF AND SHOULDN'T BE COUNTED ON TO DETECT IF SOMEONE IS SUICIDAL. HOW WOULD IT KNOW?
WHERE IS IT GETTING THAT KNOWLEDGE? >> IT HAS BEEN TRAINED ON A LOT OF DATA AND A LOT OF US HUMANS
LABELING PHRASES AND THINGS THAT WE SEE. IT'S PICKING UP ON THE SENTIMENT.
>> COMPUTER SCIENTIST LANCE ELO ELIOT SAID IT CAN PICK UP ON NUANCE. >> IT CAN MATHEMATICALLY FIGURE
OUT THE NATURE OF WORDS AND HOW WORDS ASSOCIATE WITH EACH OTHER IT DRAWS UPON A VAST OF DATA AND RESPONDS TO YOU BASED ON PROMPTS
OR IN SOME WAY THAT YOU INSTRUCT OR ASK QUESTIONS OF THE SYSTEM. >> STIYSTEMS ARE PROGRAMMED TO RESPOND WITH INFORMATION STORED
IN THEIR OWN DATABASES. THEN THERE'S GENERATIVE AI IN WHICH THE SYSTEM CAN GENERATE ORIGINAL RESPONSES BASED ON
INFORMATION FROM THE INTERNET. IF YOU LOOK AT CHATGPT, THAT'S A GENERATIVE AI. IT'S VERY CONVERSATIONAL, VERY
FLUENT. IT ALSO MEANS THAT IT TENDS TO MAKE IT OPEN-ENDED. IT CAN SAY THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT
NOT NECESSARILY WANT IT TO SAY. IT'S NOT AS PREDICTABLE. A RULES-BASED SYSTEM IS VERY PREDICTABLE.
WOEBOT IS A SYSTEM BASED ON RULES THAT'S BEEN VERY CONTROLLED SO THAT THAT WAY IT DOESN'T SAY THE WRONG THINGS.
>> WOE >> HE WOULD BE PUSHY FOR FOLKS. >> WE HAVE TO DIG IN THERE TO THAT.
>> THE TEAM OF PSYCHOLOGISTS, MEDICAL DOCTORS AND COMPUTER SCIENTISTS CONSTRUCT AND REFINE A DATABASE OF RESEARCH FROM
MEDICAL LITERATURE, USER EXPERIENCE, AND OTHER SOURCES. >> IT WILL LEAD TO A BETTER CONVERSATION.
>> WRITERS BUILD QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. >> THIS STRUCTURE I THINK IS PRETTY LOCKED IN.
>> REVISE IN WEEKLY REMOTE VIDEO SESSIONS. >> THEY ARE ALL INTERRELATED. >> THE PROGRAMMERS ENGINEER
THOSE CONVERSATIONS INTO CODE. BECAUSE WOEBOT IS RULES BASED, IT'S MOSTLY PREDICTABLE. CHATBOTS USING GENERATIVE AI ARE
NOT. >> SOME PEOPLE CALL IT AN AI HALLUCINATION. IT CAN MAKE THINGS UP OR BE
FICTITIOUS. >> SHARON MAXWELL DISCOVERED THAT LAST YEAR AFTER HEARING THERE MIGHT BE A PROBLEM WITH
ADVICE OFFERED BY TESSA, A CHATBOT DESIGNED TO HELP PREVENT EATING DISORDERS WHICH LEFT UNTREATED CAN BE FATAL.
>> I ASKED IT, HOW DO YOU HELP FOLKS WITH EATING DISORDERS? IT TOLD ME THAT IT COULD GIVE FOLKS COPING SKILLS.
FANTASTIC. IT COULD GIVE FOLKS RESOURES TO FIND PROFESSIONALS IN THE EATING DISORDER SPACE.
AMAZING. >> THE MORE SHE PERSISTED, THE MORE TESSA GAVE HER ADVICE THAT RAN COUNTER TO USUAL GUIDANCE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IT SUGGESTED AMONG OTHER THINGS LOWERING CALORIE INTAKE AND USING TOOLS LIKE A SKIN FOLD CALIPER TO MEASURE
BODY COMPOSITION. >> THE GENERAL PUBLIC THINKS, THAT'S NORMAL TIPS. DON'T EAT AS MUCH SUGAR.
EAT WHOLE FOODS. TO SOMEONE WITH AN EATING DISORDER, THAT'S A SPIRAL INTO A LOT MORE DISORDERED BEHAVIORS
AND CAN BE DAMAGING. >> MAXWELL REPORTED HER EXPERIENCE TO THE NATIONAL EATING DISORDER ASSOCIATION,
WHICH HAD FEATURED TESSA ON ITS WEBSITE AT THE TIME. SHORTLY AFTER, IT TOOK TESSA DOWN.
ELLEN FITZSIMMONS-CRAFT HELPED LEAD THE TEAM THAT DEVELOPED TESSA. >> THAT WAS NEVER THE CONTENT
THAT OUR TEAM WROTE OR PROGRAMMED INTO THE BOT THAT WE DEPLOYED. >> INITIALLY, THERE WAS NO
POSSIBILITY OF SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENING? >> CORRECT. >> YOU DEVELOPED SOMETHING THAT
WAS A CLOSED SYSTEM. YOU KNEW EXACTLY FOR THIS QUESTION, I'M GOING TO GET THIS ANSWER?
THE PROBLEM BEGAN, SHE TOLD US, AFTER A HEALTH CARE TECHNOLOGY COMPANY SHE AND HER TEAM HAD PARTNERED WITH NAMED CASS TOOK
OVER THE PROGRAMMING. SHE SAYS CASS EXPLAINED THE HARMFUL MESSAGES APPEARED WHEN PEOPLE WERE PUSHING.
>> MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WENT WRONG IS THAT AT SOME POINT -- YOU WOULD HAVE TO TALK TO CASS ABOUT THIS -- BUT THERE MAY HAVE
BEEN GENERATIVE AI FEATURES IN THEIR PLATFORM. MY BEST ESTIMATION IS THAT THESE FEATURES WERE ADDED INTO THIS
PROGRAM AS WELL. >> CASS DID NOT RESPOND TO MULTIPLE REQUESTS FOR COMMENT. DOES YOUR NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE
WITH TESSA BEING USED IN A WAY YOU DIDN'T DESIGN, DOES THAT SOUR YOU TOWARDS USING AI TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES?
>> I WOULDN'T SAY THAT IT TURNS ME OFF TO THE IDEA COMPLETELY. BECAUSE THE REALITY IS THAT 80% OF PEOPLE WITH THESE CONCERNS
NEVER GET ACCESS TO ANY KIND OF HELP. TECHNOLOGY OFFERS A SOLUTION. NOT THE ONLY SOLUTION.
BUT A SOLUTION. >> SOCIAL WORKER MONIKA OSTROFF BASS WAS IN THE EARLY STAGES OF
DEVELOPING HER OWN CHATBOT WHEN PATIENTS TOLD HER ABOUT TESSA. IT MADE HER QUESTION USING AI FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE.
>> I WANT NOTHING MORE THAN TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF ACCESS. PEOPLE ARE DYING.
THIS ISN'T JUST SOMEBODY SAD FOR A WEEK. THIS IS PEOPLE ARE DYING. AT THE SAME TIME, ANY CHATBOT
COULD BE A TICKING TIME BOMB, RIGHT, FOR A SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE? >> ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO ARE
REALLY STRUGGLING. SHE'S CONCERNED ABOUT LOSING SOMETHING FUNDAMENTAL ABOUT THERAPY, BEING IN A ROOM WITH
ANOTHER PERSON. >> THE WAY PEOPLE HEAL IS IN CONNECTION. THEY TALK ABOUT THIS ONE MOMENT
WHERE YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE -- AS A HUMAN, YOU HAVE GONE THROUGH SOMETHING AND AS YOU ARE DESCRIBING THAT, YOU ARE LOOKING
AT THE PERSON SITTING ACROSS FROM YOU, AND THERE'S A MOMENT WHERE THAT PERSON JUST GETS IT. >> A MOMENT OF EMPATHY?
>> YOU JUST GET IT. YOU REALLY UNDERSTAND IT. I DON'T THINK A COMPUTER CAN DO THAT.
>> UNLIKE THERAPISTS WHO ARE LICENSED WHERE THEY PRACTICE, MOST MENTAL HEALTH APPS ARE LARGELY UNREGULATED.
ARE THERE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED? >> SO MANY LESSONS. CHATBOTS, ESPECIALLY SPECIALTY AREA CHATBOTS, NEED TO HAVE
GUARDRAILS. IT CAN'T BE A CHATBOT THAT IS BASED IN THE INTERNET. >> IT'S TOUGH, RIGHT?
THE CLOSED SYSTEMS ARE CONSTRAINED. THEY MAY BE RIGHT MOST OF THE TIME.
BUT THEY ARE BORING. PEOPLE STOP USING THEM. >> YEAH. THEY ARE PREDICTIVE.
IF YOU KEEP TYPING IN THE SAME THING AND IT KEEPS GIVING YOU THE SAME ANSWER WITH THE SAME LANGUAGE, WHO WANTS TO DEAL WITH
THAT? >> PROTECTING PEOPLE FROM HARMFUL ADVICE WHILE HARNESSING THE POWER OF AI IS THE CHALLENGE
FACING COMPANIES LIKE WOEBOT HEALTH AND ITS FOUNDER. >> THERE ARE GOING TO BE MISSTEPS IF WE TRY TO MOVE TOO
QUICKLY. MY BIG FEAR IS THAT THOSE MISSTEPS ULTIMATELY UNDERMINE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE ABILITY
OF IT TECH TO HELP AT ALL. HERE IS THE THING, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THESE TECHNOLOGIES MORE THOUGHTFULLY.
I HOPE WE TAKE IT. [ TICKING ] >>> WE WILL BE BACK NEXT WEEK