Ellsworth
10-15-2024, 06:25 AM
Society is now experimenting with medical needs based service/emotional support robots.
https://psychcentral.com/health/robotic-pets
https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTH/features/Robotic_Pets_Benefit_Dementia_Patients.asp
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robo-dogs-therapy-bots-artificial-intelligence/
https://www.wafb.com/2024/04/15/your-health-robotic-puppies-are-therapeutic/
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/china-robot-dog-blind-people
There are surely pros and cons to what's described above.
Just as there are pros and cons to what's described below.
https://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3624215/
https://www.wxyz.com/news/region/wayne-county/taylor-police-department-set-to-put-robot-dog-into-service
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2024/08/16/what-we-know-about-ukraines-army-of-robot-dogs/
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/28/china/china-military-rifle-toting-robot-dogs-intl-hnk-ml/index.html
Yet the thought that might be most worth considering, regarding robot animals in a service role, are the bonding agents: Oxytocin, Dopamine, Serotonin.
Near as my research shows, the hormone effect will likely wear off faster with a robot versus a living animal, based in part on the 'new car,' or 'new shiny object' effect.
There's also the novelty effect in play, now at the start of this robot revolution. New car effect is slightly different than the novelty effect imho.
And it's worth noting that with a living pet (dogs specifically) there is owner/pet brain wave synchronization during eye gazing. (Edited to add: I just checked for studies on humans and cats, same phenomenon occurs. I have not looked for studies on humans and other species i.e. fish, birds, reptiles.)
And there can't be mutual brain wave synchronization with a robot?
There can be brain wave impact, mono-directional (only the human is effected)?
https://neurosciencenews.com/neural-connection-gaze-dog-27855/
https://www.sciencealert.com/dogs-brains-sync-with-ours-when-we-gaze-into-their-eyes-study-finds
And there would seem to be a large difference between two parties with free-will agency building trust, versus one party with free-will agency and one party with programed-agency.
It also reminds me of an old movie, Monkey Shines (It was released in 1988, that's no hidden message of hate).
Eventually every owner of a service robot might start to wonder about the programing/source code's security.
Perhaps especially a veteran with PTSD who worked with war-bots.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/06/04/service-dogs-helped-ease-ptsd-symptoms-us-military-veterans-researchers-say.html
My personal take away, for the physically disabled, a service robot will be a life saver.
Specifically for the blind, for the paralyzed, et cetera.
When it comes to emotional support robots, there might be some really great limited use.
Specifically, elder care, TBI, et cetera, where care for a living animal is actually or virtually impossible.
And perhaps the way it will really work is that in the future, humans will trust robot agents more than they do other humans.
https://psychcentral.com/health/robotic-pets
https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTH/features/Robotic_Pets_Benefit_Dementia_Patients.asp
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robo-dogs-therapy-bots-artificial-intelligence/
https://www.wafb.com/2024/04/15/your-health-robotic-puppies-are-therapeutic/
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/china-robot-dog-blind-people
There are surely pros and cons to what's described above.
Just as there are pros and cons to what's described below.
https://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3624215/
https://www.wxyz.com/news/region/wayne-county/taylor-police-department-set-to-put-robot-dog-into-service
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2024/08/16/what-we-know-about-ukraines-army-of-robot-dogs/
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/28/china/china-military-rifle-toting-robot-dogs-intl-hnk-ml/index.html
Yet the thought that might be most worth considering, regarding robot animals in a service role, are the bonding agents: Oxytocin, Dopamine, Serotonin.
Near as my research shows, the hormone effect will likely wear off faster with a robot versus a living animal, based in part on the 'new car,' or 'new shiny object' effect.
There's also the novelty effect in play, now at the start of this robot revolution. New car effect is slightly different than the novelty effect imho.
And it's worth noting that with a living pet (dogs specifically) there is owner/pet brain wave synchronization during eye gazing. (Edited to add: I just checked for studies on humans and cats, same phenomenon occurs. I have not looked for studies on humans and other species i.e. fish, birds, reptiles.)
And there can't be mutual brain wave synchronization with a robot?
There can be brain wave impact, mono-directional (only the human is effected)?
https://neurosciencenews.com/neural-connection-gaze-dog-27855/
https://www.sciencealert.com/dogs-brains-sync-with-ours-when-we-gaze-into-their-eyes-study-finds
And there would seem to be a large difference between two parties with free-will agency building trust, versus one party with free-will agency and one party with programed-agency.
It also reminds me of an old movie, Monkey Shines (It was released in 1988, that's no hidden message of hate).
Eventually every owner of a service robot might start to wonder about the programing/source code's security.
Perhaps especially a veteran with PTSD who worked with war-bots.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/06/04/service-dogs-helped-ease-ptsd-symptoms-us-military-veterans-researchers-say.html
My personal take away, for the physically disabled, a service robot will be a life saver.
Specifically for the blind, for the paralyzed, et cetera.
When it comes to emotional support robots, there might be some really great limited use.
Specifically, elder care, TBI, et cetera, where care for a living animal is actually or virtually impossible.
And perhaps the way it will really work is that in the future, humans will trust robot agents more than they do other humans.