Fetch My Empathy
Before his untimely death in 1982, famed science fiction writer, Philip K. Dick made a number predictions related to technology; the use of holograms, a nuclear explosion in the Soviet Union, computers small enough to fit inside our pockets, and our phones becoming a tool for surveillance. These are just the ones that ended up being a reality. During his career, Philip K. Dick wrote 44 novels and 121 short stories, many of which went on to become successful Hollywood films; The Adjustment Bureau, Minority Report, Paycheck, and Total Recall, to name a few. Who knows how many other technological predictions of Philip K. Dick’s we have yet to see developed in our lifetime.
In his novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick writes about a dystopian future where people keep lifelike robotic pets and androids are indistinguishable from humans. Published in 1968, this science fiction novel became the basis for the plot of the 1982 sci-fi film, Blade Runner. Is this a possible scenario mankind will someday experience as a reality?
As technology advances and artificial intelligence and robotics become increasingly lifelike, humans will begin to seek companionship from machines. Our brains are wired in a way to make sense of randomness by distinguishing patterns as shown by our tendency to anthropomorphize objects. While our species is often classified as a social one, since the advent of the radio, and later the television, to the personal computer, and now the smartphone, technology has increasingly made humans more secluded [2]. Throughout history, technology has also consistently demonstrated our desire for new conveniences takes precedence over any moral dilemmas or societal consequences they may raise.
We have a tendency to seek out meaning in random events, patterns, and the objects we see. Just look at the number of times burnt toast resembling the Virgin Mary has made it onto the evening news? In fact, a grilled cheese sandwich with an image resembling her, burnt into a piece of toast sold for $28,000 in 2004 [3]. The 1996 incident of a stain appearing as the Virgin Mary on the window of a Seminole Finance Corp. building drew massive crowds, totaling one million visitors [4]. The habit of finding the familiar in unfamiliar places makes anthropomorphizing easy for our brains to not only seek out but to comprehend as well. It’s why the animatronics at theme parks continue to attract people and why three of the top ten highest grossing movies of 2016 were animated pictures [5].
This type of behavior has transferred over to how we feel about our machines as well. In studies conducted by Clifford Nass and Byron Reeves at Stanford University, their results have shown that
“…people tend to deeply anthropomorphize any sufficiently sophisticated technology — whether a car, a microwave oven, or even a company.” [6]
The word, “sufficiently” speaks volumes. It doesn’t even have to be something space age advanced. It’s as if we want to be fooled. We use our mobile devices so frequently, that we’ve become so attached and treat them as extensions of our own bodies. Pretty soon, artificial intelligence will further blur the lines between animate and inanimate machines and we will treat this new form of technology as sentient.
Put yourself in any public setting. Look around. More than likely, you won’t be able to go more than 10 seconds without seeing a person on their mobile device. This relatively new form of social behavior of pulling out the phone at a restaurant, even if it’s just to have it in full view on the table to ensure that it’s still there, or the quick draw out of the pocket like a gunslinger in the Wild West in mid-conversation with friends has become the norm. How many of us now feel anxious or a sense of insecurity when we leave the house and forget the baby… rather, the phone at home? Checking for the phone has become akin to making sure the stove has been turned off before leaving the house. We are so attached (for some, addicted), that we can’t live a single second without being next to this seductive, thin, glowing, shinny rectangle. It has an alluring and indescribable reward mechanism, which makes us feel a certain way when we unlock it. It keeps us connected to everyone while creating a vast distance between the people that are most important. With smartphone ownership growing in the teen demographic, this trend is likely to continue. According to a 2015 independent Pew Research Poll,
“73% of teenagers have access to a smartphone, while 15% have access to a basic phone.” [7]
It has become not only an extension of us but also, a reflection of ourselves. The sounds, the wallpaper, the protective case, all say a lot about who we are as individuals, not to mention how we use these devices in our everyday lives. Your phone not only serves a utilitarian function but also provides you with a special feeling. These super computers that we carry in our pockets don’t even have the capability to communicate with us (yet), unless you consider the iPhone’s Siri and her limited programmed responses as “communicating.” Imagine the attraction when artificial intelligence gets to an advanced state and she can carry a conversation or even provide emotional support to her owner. Just imagine the level of attachment and addiction at that point.
It’s not difficult to imagine a future within sight, where we continue to allow technology to integrate itself into our physical, mental, and even emotional lives — a piece of technology that without question will be more advanced. In this last decade, we’ve demonstrated how easily we’ve embraced and become attached to these little computers, which we call, “smartphones.” The next couple of decades will show that we want to continue this trend. Soon, artificial intelligence and robotics will take on the form of companions for us.
The day will come when we see a robot become man’s best friend. Picture your common household dog— he probably has four legs, he barks, he occasionally whimpers, he nuzzles his head against your leg or licks you to show affection, he plays by running around you in circles, and perhaps he even fetches. He entertains you when he flips onto his back with his front paws punching the air in rapid motion, begging you to scratch his belly. You can sense his mood by his bark, his growl, the wag of his tail, or the pep in his step. There will come a day when these behaviors and characteristics will become lines of code, programmed into an artificial intelligent robot.
A future with robotic pet-like companions would dramatically reduce the number of unwanted pets in animal shelters. According to the ASPCA, approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter shelters every year [8]. Additionally, an estimated 1.5 million companion animals are euthanized in shelters annually [9].
The benefit of developing an artificially intelligent pet robot would also allow people, confined by health ailments, allergies, or a lack of mobility, to experience and enjoy the companionship of a pet without having to take them outside or clean up after them. Additionally, studies have shown that in the United States, there is a rising trend in the number of hours per week people work [10], resulting in diminished time for additional hobbies and leisure activities.
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when society will make the shift from animal to robot companions, but there are pricing cycles that new technology typically follows. Interaction designer turned venture capitalist, Dr. David Liddle said regarding the pricing of technology,
“Once enough enthusiasts have their hands on a technology, sooner or later one of them will say, ‘I can use this in my work!’… They decide to find a way to fit it into some practical part of their life, either literally their livelihood, or at least their home life in a practical way. As this begins to happen, there is a great change in the priorities of the developers of the technology… they become more focused on costs and prices… After a product has built up big enough volumes through this business phase, that’s when suddenly one begins to reach a price point where it’s practical for consumers to buy it.” [11]
When that day arrives, and the supply and demand of artificial intelligent technology has reached equilibrium, the consumer in all of us will justify going out and purchasing a robotic pet.
People opposed to robotic forms of companionship are likely to argue that they could never replace a living being and doing so would open up Pandora’s box to complex moral dilemmas. “What will be next, Androids?” “Will pets as we know we them, become extinct?” The possibilities are endless, however, it’s not a question of whether it’s a good idea or a bad idea but rather, when it will happen. Throughout the advancement of technology in civilization, we have seen a propensity to justify the moral dilemmas and the disruption it causes with the convenience it affords us. From the invention of the loom, to the printing press, and onto more recent advancements such as email, digital photography, Netflix, and Uber; an industry of people without work soon follow in the wake of these innovative ideas.
Perhaps it’s also a fear of mankind losing its sense of humanity along the way that drives the opposition against artificial intelligence, which is why it’s important to take a closer look at our fascination with anthropomorphism and machines.
“The impulse to personify inanimate objects is very strong, particularly if they appear to be dependent on us or fulfill some emotional need.” [12]
Dating as far back as 350 B.C., Ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician, Archytas, is said to have designed and built a steam powered dove capable of flying. While King Phillip II of Spain in the 16th century commissioned Juanelo Turriano to build what can be considered the very first attempt at building an “android.” Turriano was tasked to build an autonomous recreation of Saint Diego, which could imitate walking, move its eyes, lips, and head in lifelike fashion. The story goes that when King Phillip II’s son suffered a head injury, the King made a promise to God that he would deliver a miracle if his boy lived. His son recovered and the King hired Turriano, a clockmaker, to build the mechanical version of Saint Diego [13]. Let’s pause and think about that for a moment… Men of their era using great resources, energy, and time to re-create living beings they were fascinated with. It sounds like they honored and respected life.
Why do people want a pet to begin with? Could it be that most of us don’t want to exert our dominance over another creature? We keep pets to have companionship and friendship. We express our feelings, our emotions, and our love towards them. In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Phillip K. Dick describes a new religion called “Mercerism” that has become prevalent after a nuclear war has wiped out most of the population. Mercerism’s main objectives are to “be empathetic to the individual and work for the good of the community.” Perhaps there is a future where another one of Dick’s predictions comes true. This future might be one where we do learn empathy and compassion. But instead of religion, perhaps it will be artificial intelligence and robots that teach us by being a friend and ultimately saving us.
[2] Twenge, Jean M. Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?. The Atlantic, Sep. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a- generation/534198/. Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.
[3] ‘Virgin Mary’ toast fetches $28,000. BBC News, 23 Nov. 2004, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4034787.stm. Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.
[4] Tisch, Chris. For Mary’s faithful, a shattering loss. St. Petersburg Times, Tampa Bay, 2 Mar. 2004, http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/clearwater-virgin-mary. Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.
[5] Guerrasio, Jason. The 10 highest-grossing movies of 2016, ranked. Business Insider, 29 Dec. 2016, www.businessinsider.com/highest-grossing-movies-of-2016- ranked-2016–12/#10-rogue-one-a-star-wars-story-675-million-worldwide- estimate-1. Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.
[6] Shedroff, Nathan, and Christopher Noessel. Make It So. Rosenfeld Media, LLC, 2012, pp. 179
[7] 73% of Teens Have Access to a Smartphone; 15% Have Only a Basic Phone. Pew Research Center, 8 Apr. 2015, www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/09/teens-social- media-technology-2015/pi_2015–04–09_teensandtech_06/. Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.
[8] Pet Statistics. ASPCA, 2017, www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and- surrender/pet-statistics. Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.
[9] ASPCA Releases New Data Showing Remarkable Progress for Homeless Dogs & Cats. ASPCA, 10 Mar. 2017, www.aspca.org/about-us/press-releases/aspca- releases-new-data-showing-remarkable-progress-homeless-dogs-cats. Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.
[10] Moodie, Alison. Why are Americans spending too much time at work?. The Guardian, 30 Jun. 2016, www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/jun/30/america- working-hours-minimum-wage-overworked. Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.
[11] Moggridge, Bill. Designing Interactions. MIT Press, 2007, pp. 245–247
[12] Kaplan, Jerry. Artificial Intelligence What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press, 2016
[13] Andrews, Evan. 7 Early Robots and Automatons. History.com, 28 Oct. 2014, www.history.com/news/history-lists/7-early-robots-and-automatons. Accessed 5 Oct. 2017.
