Robotic Companionship

Possibly from the time automatons and robots were first envisioned, their use as emotional support for humans was as well.  Over the centuries, living dolls have been created to amuse and entertain, and with the Industrial Revolution they were put to work, doing heavy work, dangerous work, the things we felt humans should not do for one reason or another.  Many robots have been similar to humans in appearance, perhaps because our natural arrogance makes us believe we are the highest form any created life could aspire to.  As artificial intelligence has advanced, we have come ever closer to creating a consciousness that can learn and develop without our interference - a man-made man, if you can forgive the old-fashioned terminology.  What does that mean for us and our relationships with our machines?  Our modern robots and AIs work to make our lives easier by helping us work faster or more safely.  Yet, some people long for a truly "human" robot, but is that because they are fascinated with the technology to the point of obsession, wishing for a companion that will possibly not sicken or die, or do they just want a slave to serve them in all their whims?

"The Jetsons" cartoon show from the 1960's featured a robot maid who, although not especially human in appearance, had a definite human personality.  The droids in the Star Wars universe are always identifiable as robots, even when they have some similarities to human structure, e.g. C-3PO.  Most robots on the series "Futurama" are also obviously non-human, although some are given the appearance of a celebrity, to fulfill the owner's desire to spend time with that celebrity.  At least in the USA, robots with the appearance of robots are "safe", they are not trying to fool us about their nature.  They perform functions in our lives and we are comfortable with them, having accepted their technology as useful and non-threatening.  However, robots that do appear to be human are often shown in fiction to be treacherous.  The robot Maria from "Metropolis" is an early example.  She exists only to beguile and corrupt the true humans, leading to their destruction, had the plan not been foiled.  The android Ash in the film "Alien" is another example of a duplicitous machine working to the detriment of humans.  The durability of their bodies and power of their brains may alarm us, provoke some inferiority complex, and for that reason we insist that "good" robots are obvious ones, not hiding behind human masks.  Moreover, from a practical standpoint, robots which are built for specific jobs would need to be shaped to handle those jobs to the highest possible standard; otherwise, why bother designing and building them?  Humans are not niche workers as a species, our anatomy allows us to be flexible.  The robot is created by us for a purpose.  Not keeping the purpose in mind when designing would simply be silly.  Again, we can see why human-mimicking robots would be so threatening - they are designed for the purpose of fooling us for reasons we are not aware of until it is too late.

The idea of a robotic or artificial companion is an intriguing one for many.  In some cases, the robot is a replacement for a lost loved one, or a substitute for one who could die or leave.  In the past, the idea was more akin to Dr. Frankenstein than to any technology researcher, but one company's plan to create a robot "clone" of a lost loved one has been announced.  Whether this will become a popular practice remains to be seen.  In fiction, that level of attachment has been portrayed as both horrifying (Psycho) and commendable if tragic (Orpheus).  In more cases, it is probably the former.  The lack of autonomy and development in a robotic companion might make us wonder if they could be anything but a pale imitation of human friends and partners.  Furthermore, if technology advances so far as to make them truly autonomous, would our use of them as companions without their consent not be slavery?  Should androids or robots be given "human" rights?  Would they have their own set of rights?  Who would determine them?

The modern representations of this dream are not at the stage of independence yet.  They are but programs and "bots", providing responses and learning to some extent, but they are not human.  It is an easy thing to suppose that those who would choose robot companionship are doing so out of sour grapes, having been denied a coveted human relationship.  Alternatively, they are sick, unable to interact with others in an acceptable way, and relegated to some techno-social ghetto where they cannot bother real people.  However, the question of what will happen when artificial intelligence is on par with our own, if not beyond it, is still unanswered.  One imagining of the situation is seen in the film "Her", in which a number of people fall in love with a new, highly intelligent and interactive OS, and the love seems to be reciprocated.  At least the main character enjoys his relationship with his OS, and she also appears to be very happy sharing her existence with him, until her updates take her to a plain of being so far beyond the human that she is unable to continue the relationship.  In this film, the notion of loving the OS is not questioned as fact, but one character does say it is a denial of reality and a way to simply run away from problems.  This hearkens back to AI being dependent on us and unable to make its own choices; the artificial companion will never like somebody else more, decide to leave you, or manipulate you.  The artificial companion probably cannot even hurt you.  It does not have that capability if it does not make conscious decisions.  So again, what happens when AI is truly intelligent in a human way?  When it is sentient?  This opens the door to many frustrating questions, that possibly shed more light on how we feel about other people at this time than about machines.