Be wary of robot emotions

Re:Be wary of robot emotions by RodgerTheGreat on Saturday April 27, 2019 @05:06PM (#19767633)

If I buy or build a robot "pet" that is programmed to act curious and friendly, and I personally derive pleasure from watching it and interacting with it, any sense of companionship I feel is legitimate, whether or not someone else wants to classify it as "love".

When it comes to robotic companions, the real thing to be wary of is whether or not it's actually your robot. An Alexa, for example, is a sales and marketing organ of Amazon, and any attempt at eliciting a sense of personality is in service of that device gathering information about you and using it to sell you stuff.

Twitter accounts for brands are not companions. The chatbot on your travel booking website is not a companion. Irrespective of any technology described as "AI" behind it, Alexa is structurally not a companion.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Be wary of robot emotions by laHiesh1 on Saturday April 27, 2019 @05:27PM (#19767733)

I can't wait until Amazon launches genetically modified pets that try to sell you things.

Dog opens it's mouth and speaks pre-programmed phrase. "Show how much you love your pet and buy Amazon premium++ dog food, now half price!"

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Be wary of robot emotions by 8note on Sunday April 28, 2019 @01:45AM (#19769562)

=> one that requires you to buy it dog food, and can auto-order more when it notices the bag getting low

and when he's been a good boy, it auto orders fancier treats

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Be wary of robot emotions by mirimir on Sunday April 28, 2019 @02:15AM (#19769643)

See Ellison's A Boy and His Dog. Vic's dog Blood expects lots more than "premium++ dog food".

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Be wary of robot emotions by taneq on Sunday April 28, 2019 @02:55AM (#19769769)

Same with modern mobile phones. They may be a 'companion' in the sense that they're constantly with you, but they are in no way your friend.

[ Parent | on HN ]