Robotics Pets: What Do you Think of Them?

[happy.knot]

Robotic pets aren't new but they are becoming more sophisticated and bigger as time goes on! I found some Youtube videos of some of them. Are you disturbed by this trend, or facinated? Something about the clack of plastic bodies and the whine of servos makes them seem less than cuddly to me.

Hasbro Furreal Biscuit
Hasbro Furreal Botterscotch
Pleo (Ok this one wins. Oh my gosh!)
Tiny Chick Robot
Aibo robotic dog
BIG DOG  military beta testing


Ok that last one was a spoof. Here's the real Big Dog military thingy - not really a pet but designed to be a robotic pack mule to help carry heavy supplies over all terrain for soldiers. I don't know - something about it repulses me but I pity it and am facinated by it at the same time. Damn weird.

What do you guys think of all of this?


EDIT: About Pleo - it is a sophisticated machine that is designed to mimic reactions like fear and pain as well as affection and anger. It also learns and it's personality will change over time depending on how it is treated. They actually class this little robot as an artificial life form. Then I found a clip of an activated pleo being sawed up by a battle robot (think: RC lawn mower) ...with children in the audience (screaming!) How do you feel about that?
If it is artificial is it really feeling the emotions it is programmed to display? Would that change how you treated the machine?

[Don Karnage]

just a expensive gadget, useless.

[PyroVulpes]

I have to agree with Don here. They're nothing more than something really expensive and useless. Also, machines can't feel. It doesn't matter how complex the AI program is, it's still just reacting to various inputs exactly the way it was told to.

[Lego]

Kind of cute, especially the Hasbro dog. But would I get one? No, not a chance in your life. Those things creep me out, just like sometimes my own plushie creeps me out! 

[happy.knot]

Also, machines can't feel. It doesn't matter how complex the AI program is, it's still just reacting to various inputs exactly the way it was told to.

But aren't our basic feelings also just instinctual reactions to various input - particularly in the realm of self preservation? In the example of Pleo - it will show fear when it gets close to a steep drop. If you are rough with it, damage it - it will scream. If you are gentle with it, it will cuddle closer to you. Even if these reactions are simulated the truth is it is still reacting in a convincing way.
Do you think it says something about human beings who go out of their way to create something that mimics human feelings and then tortures it?

[Kesarra]

Do you think it says something about human beings who go out of their way to create something that mimics human feelings and then tortures it?

That's what kids are for, to some people. The difference is, you feed a robot toxic goo and you feed a child plants and meats.

[happy.knot]

Do you think it says something about human beings who go out of their way to create something that mimics human feelings and then tortures it?

That's what kids are for, to some people. The difference is, you feed a robot toxic goo and you feed a child plants and meats.

I don't think people procreate for the purpose of creating something to torture but there are people who prey on children - some premeditated and some "it just happened". Equally disturbing to me are people who torture domesticated animals.

It makes me wonder - not far in the future do you think they'll create more "toys" that respond convincingly for the purpose of giving sick people an outlet for their darker desires? The reason being that damaging an artificial life is definately better than a real one?

Some people already do this through art - video games - so I guess the next step would be interactive animatronics. Simulated screams...

[Don Karnage]

well if they can make like a robot dog (not like that toy) that is bigger and having sensation, feeling i might be interested.

or if it was like a commission made robot to look like a furry with emotion that would be fun.

some will always argue that animals don't have feeling or because they are not self aware that is correct to torture them, or just don't care, a robot that is alive, well they will argue that its not organic then its not alive.

is fire a life form?, it grow, it require oxygen and kinda feed it self.

we can't really say what is life since we are still on this planet and have not officially encounter other life form or civilization.

but torturing anything that can feel pain is not good, robots, animals, humans what ever it is if it feel pain its alive.

[Kesarra]

is fire a life form?, it grow, it require oxygen and kinda feed it self.

we can't really say what is life since we are still on this planet and have not officially encounter other life form or civilization.

We know what life is and fire is not in there. We have encountered some odd life forms where we didn't expect them: http://english.pravda.ru/main/2003/01/28/42650.html

Do you think it says something about human beings who go out of their way to create something that mimics human feelings and then tortures it?

That's what kids are for, to some people. The difference is, you feed a robot toxic goo and you feed a child plants and meats.

I don't think people procreate for the purpose of creating something to torture but there are people who prey on children - some premeditated and some "it just happened". Equally disturbing to me are people who torture domesticated animals.

It makes me wonder - not far in the future do you think they'll create more "toys" that respond convincingly for the purpose of giving sick people an outlet for their darker desires? The reason being that damaging an artificial life is definitely better than a real one?

Many people do use their offspring as an extension of themselves. The kids get no free will. If it's not torture, it's not far from it. Then you've got the statistics that show that most victims of physical abuse know the perpetrator beforehand. It's typically a family member. Demo Furby's always seemed kind of neurotic to me.

On a side note, haven't you ever wanted to destroy a Tickle Me Elmo?

[Aurifer]

I think tickle-me-Elmo is now sold in mock iron lock-up crates with warning labels. Then you accidentally bonk the crate, and he starts yammering things at you. It's kind of scary.

But yeah. You can look at all those arguments about things like the Chinese Machine, but that's for something much more complex.
I think the world is FINALLY realizing that it's stupid and impossible to create some pre-programmed robot, and are looking into how we learn. And really, once we get robots to gather all these unrelated signals around them to form patterns and learn how to speak and what everything means, we're going to have an intelligence limited only by the hardware of the computers. At the moment, I don't think the AIs would be any smarter than certain animals, but I'm sure it won't be long before their capabilities start climbing towards those of humans.

Er, what was the question?
I think robotic pets are too... clunky, loud, and stupid to really BE a pet. They have to improve the robotics, give them learning algorithms, and fill them out with plushier cuddly-ness. At that point, they'd probably make great substitutes for cats.

[Ego]

I don't think people procreate for the purpose of creating something to torture but.

Obviously you've never met my parents

[Aurifer]

"Honey, I feel that our BDSM fun is missing something."
"Oh, that's okay, Dear! I was reading this brochure, and I think having a kid to torture would put that spark back into our relationship!"

Really, though, I'm sure a lot of people would prefer a robot that does the dishes over one that makes noise and moves around.

[happy.knot]

Many people do use their offspring as an extension of themselves. The kids get no free will. If it's not torture, it's not far from it. Then you've got the statistics that show that most victims of physical abuse know the perpetrator beforehand. It's typically a family member.

On a side note, haven't you ever wanted to destroy a Tickle Me Elmo?

The behavior exists but do you feel it is acceptible?

Tickle Me Elmo was not programmed to show fear or react to pain which is really the crux of my argument.

If it is wrong to harm a cat or a dog because it feels the pain does the excuse "But this is a machine. It is not alive" really make it ok to harm it even though it also shows pain? That is my question.

[Kesarra]

Many people do use their offspring as an extension of themselves. The kids get no free will. If it's not torture, it's not far from it. Then you've got the statistics that show that most victims of physical abuse know the perpetrator beforehand. It's typically a family member.

The behavior exists but do you feel it is acceptible?

It's disgusting.

The one thing that bothers me most about robots is the waste and misuse of resources. All that nasty plastic that catches your attention for about as long as a goldfish would and ends up in the same place: dumped in the ocean.

[happy.knot]

The one thing that bothers me most about robots is the waste and misuse of resources.

So essentially you have no objection to cruel treatment of machines that are programmed to display signs of fear and pain because aside from the sophisticated programming it is simply a pile of misused resources?

[Kesarra]

The one thing that bothers me most about robots is the waste and misuse of resources.

So essentially you have no objection to cruel treatment of machines that are programmed to display signs of fear and pain because aside from the sophisticated programming it is simply a pile of misused resources?

Robotic pets are a heap of toxic material. The only individual that's really going to feel pain in the long run is the user and the land or ocean life around the dumping ground that robot will end up in when the user gets bored of it. As far as the robot is concerned, being programmed to display fear, pain, pleasure, or nothing at all is all the same thing. It's just some 1's and 0's in different arrangements. An animal understands pain and pleasure. Pain = fight or flight. Pleasure = oh yeah, give me some more of that. It's a useful survival technique that's built into us all. A robot doesn't have the capacity to understand either of those. Not yet, it doesn't. I dread the day when AI gets that good. It's likely to become highly neurotic and destructive. Humans are not "perfect" (nothing is) and we can't produce perfect things, ever. Bump into a robot, twist some wire in its chassis, cause it "pain", and it's likely to take your head off in reaction. It's not likely to run from a weak lump of flesh.

That's my ramble and I'm sticking to it.

[happy.knot]

Robotic pets are a heap of toxic material. The only individual that's really going to feel pain in the long run is the user and the land or ocean life around the dumping ground that robot will end up in when the user gets bored of it.

Like all of our other house hold electronics. Cities have had to begin taking special measures for the disposal of old computers and monitors for instance. Unfortunately disposible everything is popular right now- including real living pets. Can't take care of your fish anymore? Flush it. Can't pay your vet bills? Dump your pet somewhere far from your house. Maybe artifical pets are society's answer to the growing problem of strays - it makes them feel bad to mistreat or put down real animals. With an artifical pet the only regret will be how much money you spent but you still get the benefit of it's affectionate behavior.

Scientists are already trying to develop human-like robots to be companions for lonely people - maybe these pet machines are a way to test how easily artificial beings are accepted in to society.

As far as the robot is concerned, being programmed to display fear, pain, pleasure, or nothing at all is all the same thing.  An animal understands pain and pleasure. Pain = fight or flight. Pleasure = oh yeah, give me some more of that. It's a useful survival technique

Computers and these artifical pets are all designed to have some form of self preservation - that is a system to warn it's handler when it's about to be potentially damaged. PCs give you warning pop-ups and error sounds and electronic pets cry out if it's being mishandled.
 
I have to say though that I definately believe there is a difference between self presevation and Self preservation. Many human owners will swear their pets have personalities and internal thoughts. Pets dream. No robot is self aware in the sense that we know of.

Bump into a robot, twist some wire in its chassis, cause it "pain", and it's likely to take your head off in reaction.

This kid better watch out! - lol!

~*~

Personally I find it unsettling that anyone would find pleasure in bringing harm to anything that is writhing and screaming in pain whether it's self aware or not.

[Aurifer]

I believe that people who say robots will never feel like humans really don't understand how humans think.
Furthermore, robots would be carefully trained by experts in the field. I'd say building an AI would be quite a bit like rendering a fractal: If you spend a great deal of time on it, it's beautiful and full and complete and you can copy it elsewhere and use it for things. If you need to make a tiny adjustment, you have to render it all over again. For AI, this process would take years; just look at how long humans take to mature.
Once a robot is matured, though, one should be able to take the electronic brain-imprint and cast a bunch of other robots with it. I'm sure robots would be a GREAT deal better-behaved than humans are.

As well, in the case of a human harming an intelligent robot, responses can be conditioned. It's relatively easy to respond to a threat with evasive action and non-harmful force.

I, personally, should do more research into anger and its place in today's society, but at the moment I don't see a need for robots to possess it.


Anyway, to answer another question, I think destruction of all kinds is something to be casually avoided. Intentional destruction for pleasure is always evil.
Whether a robot (or an animal) is screaming or not, it's not right to rip it apart.

[Tora the Maestro]

Any time I hear about something like robotic pets and AI, I can't help but get a little nervous.  MAybe it's exposure to too many weird sci-fi things, but I personally have a slight paranoia about robotic lifeforms.  It's that feeling like it would get completely out of hand at some point in the future and we'd have something like a Matrix-esque scenario.  Having said that, I think those Japanese robots in that one Beck video are pretty cool, even if they aren't exactly pets.

[happy.knot]

I'll be honest, I am not afraid of these toys as they are now - still simple. Still basic.

A little OT:
What DOES scare me is that researchers have been experimenting with creating cyborgs - a combination of real parts and machine parts. Example: cyborg insects but this takes the cake: rat brain robot , computer controlled rat, Monkey brain controll

The result of some of this research: Mind Controll video games?
Real Life Bionic Woman - she can controll a prosthetic limb with her brain. Bionic eye