Please pay attention to me
Thursday, November 16, 2045, 8 a.m. Eunice woke up very tired after a night out and did not feel like going outside on this cold morning to walk her dog, Biscotte.
“Oh, but I could simply turn on Biscotte’s dog companion,” she whispered before grabbing her phone.
Eunice purchased a dog companion two weeks ago, and she is delighted. Gus, the dog companion, takes Biscotte on three or more daily walks lasting at least 20 minutes. After its walks and many more times a day, Gus feeds Biscotte, and Gus knows what food Biscotte wants, such as kibbles, canned or frozen dog food, and how much to give it.
Eunice turned on Gus and went directly back to sleep without checking on Biscotte. A few hours later, she walks to the kitchen to make herself something to eat. She then sits down to watch the last Marvel movie on Disney Plus with her sandwich. Biscotte snuggles on her lap while she gives him belly rubs and ear scratches. Tomorrow, she is going to Bali with her sister, Martha, and a few friends. They worked so hard these past few months without a day off and really deserved to rest. Eunice takes her phone to turn off Gus and receives a call from Martha.
“Hey, girl! Are you ready for our trip?” asked Martha
“I still have a few things to pack, but I am super excited! We really deserve some time off.”
“We definitely deserve it. Have you asked someone to watch Biscotte while you are away or hired a dog walker?”
“Oh no, that will not be necessary. I got a dog companion a few weeks ago. It is a small robot that takes him on walks and feeds him.”
“Hum, I don’t think that’s a great idea, especially for a week-long trip. I don’t understand how you keep trusting all these new inventions. You should stick to conventional approaches.”
“Don’t worry! If there is any issue, my neighbor will let me know.”
“Alright, if you say so. See you tomorrow.”
“See you,” she says before hanging up.
Eunice packs her luggage, orders her dog’s groceries, and goes to bed with Biscotte next to her. The following day, after verifying that she has everything, Eunice turns on Gus.”
“Take care of Biscotte,” she says
“I will, Eunice,” says the robot.
“I’m going to leave for a few days, and I will see you soon, ok? Mommy loves you,” says Eunice while hugging and kissing Biscotte.
Eunice enjoyed her girls' trip with her sister and friends and even changed her return date twice. She verifies that Biscotte is doing fine once in a while by looking at the cameras. Two weeks later, it was finally time to go back home. Her driverless Uber dropped her off, and she rushed inside to hug her dog.
“Biscotte? Biscotte?” she called
No answer
She rushed through her bedroom and found Biscotte on one of her t-shirts. She tries to touch Biscotte, but he doesn’t move.
“Biscotte, Biscotte, please do something!” she cries
“A problem, Eunice?” asks Gus
“What happened to Biscotte?" she questions
“I don’t know. I tried to take him for his morning walk yesterday and today, but he did not move and refused to eat.”
“So, you did nothing to cheer him up or play with him???” she yells
“ It is not part of my job. Per section 5 of the BogCo user manual, pets require consistent and regular exercise to live long, healthy, and happy lives, and many dogs’ health issues can be prevented or mitigated with appropriate exercise and my job is simply to feed and walk Biscotte every day,” responds Gus
“How could you let this happen?” she screams
“As stated in section 7 of the BogCo manual, dog owners are required to provide emotional support and take care of the dog mental health. I can feed Biscotte and take him for walks and potty breaks, but I could never replace a human presence. BogCo is not responsible if the owner fails to do their part.” Gus replies
“How could you say that? I can’t believe I left my baby with a robot and thought it was a good idea. I should have never trusted technology.”
Eunice takes Biscotte to a veterinary emergency, and they tell her that Biscotte felt lonely, bored, and unloved. He is depressed and could have died of a broken heart. Eunice turns off Gus, reset it, and files a return policy to have it picked up the next day. She swears never to neglect her dog again and to give him all the attention, time, and love she can give. A few extra hours of sleep and long vacations are not worth losing him.
