When You Start Having Feelings For Robots
Boston Dynamics has dancing robots. Endearing or creepy? Robots are getting more and more lifelike by the day. Which led me to this weird but serious question: When do we cross the line before we are affectionate toward them? Are we already there? This thought came to me within the past few weeks after Boston Dynamics put out a video of dancing robots. Said robots were well, almost endearing. Though the idea of having an emotional attachment to robots isn't new, I think it's going to become more and more part of our lives. What if you start loving a robot like you'd love your dog or cat, or even your spouse? Where does that put human beings? Or other living, loving creatures like real dogs? A couple years ago, one of my young nephews got a robot dog for Christmas. The robot dog was programmed to figure out how to follow my nephew's leads and preferences, and it did so beautifully. The robot dog was cute, had a few mannerisms that real dog...