Can humans have feelings with robots? Is this wishful thinking good or bad?

"If I don't have a knife, I can't protect you. If I have a knife, I can't hug you." The film Edward Scissorhands tells a sad and beautiful love story about Edward, a robot with a pair of scissors, who falls in love with a woman but can't stay together. Many people are moved.

 

The story of man and robot has always been one of the inspiration sources of creators. With the rapid rise of artificial intelligence research and development technology, there is no lack of "Edward Scissorhands" in real life, which is opposite to human beings. So, can humans have feelings with robots or physical dolls? Is this wishful thinking good or bad?

 

Edward Scissorhands

 

Good brother who risked his life to death

 

In 2013, Iraq was shrouded in the shadow of terrorist attacks. A funeral was being held at the US military base an hour away from Baghdad. An explosion took away their beloved comrade-in-arms - a metal robot. This robot, called Boomer by soldiers, was responsible for searching for mines and saved many lives.

 

In this dusty and scarred place, a group of iron men thus forged a profound friendship with a cold robot. When Boomer could no longer fight side by side, the soldiers mourned him like a dead pet.

 

Robot Marcbot

 

A good partner with long lasting love

 

In 2017, five robot dolls ushered in retirement life. They are the exclusive "postman" of CBC. Their 25-year working life can be regarded as conscientious: delivering mail, making lovely sounds, and occasionally bumping into colleagues. The retirement party held by CBC for the five kids included not only cakes, balloons and farewell videos, but also a message card that said, "Thank you for making every day unforgettable."

 

The close relationship between human beings and machine dolls has been revealed from the above two stories. In addition to devoting themselves to making the product our right hand assistant, experts in designing robots also take into account the needs of perception. Taking Sophia, the companion robot of Saudi citizens, as an example, "she" has a pretty face. However, not all robots are "naturally cute", most of them are metal mechanical products without human shape and can't speak. Why do humans still have feelings for robots?

 

Sofia

 

Human compassion dead things as living things

 

A study published in the Science Report by the research team of Toyohashi University of Technology and Science in Japan in 2015 provides the first neurophysiological evidence for human emotion towards physical dolls. At that time, the researchers asked the test subjects to watch the pictures of human beings and physical dolls whose fingers were cut. The results showed that the test subjects had similar sympathy for both human beings and physical dolls.

 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology has also conducted similar experiments. The tested people interacted with a small mechanical dinosaur named Pleo, and then asked them to destroy it, but everyone refused. People subconsciously tend to regard them as living things, although on a rational level we fully understand that they are not real creatures.

 

Japan HRP-4C

 

Tend to personalize objects

 

The reason why these seemingly impossible feelings occur is that human beings naturally tend to personify everything, whether it is ordinary animals and plants, inanimate objects, or ethereal gods. If human beings maximize this tendency, they are very likely to have real feelings for robots or physical dolls.

 

Don't want to be alone

 

Another common reason for this is the fear of loneliness. Human beings, as social animals, have lived on the earth for millions of years. Our nature drives us to find partners and establish relationships. If this demand cannot be met among the same kind, it will be pinned on other humanoid non-biological, including robots or physical dolls. Wired once reported that a retired professor who lived alone took his home sweeping robot as a companion.

 

Banning the "killer robot" movement

 

Is affection good or bad?

 

Once they are endowed with humanity, our relationship with them will become as close as other human beings, and the potential risks will follow. Just imagine that if the bomb disposal robot has a good relationship with soldiers, it is not impossible for the latter to sacrifice their own lives to rescue their robot companions. In addition, the weapon "killer robot" being developed by EU countries will also threaten human and world security.

 

In general, it must be a good thing for human beings to have a deep friendship with humanoid and non-biological beings. Osborne, a nanotechnology scientist, pointed out that robots have some obvious superhuman characteristics, such as correcting human errors in work and improving work efficiency. Even if people know that "they" will not know this feeling, at least they enjoy it.

 

Some experts believe that it is good for people to have feelings with them, However, there is one condition - Yoshihiro Kitazaki, a professor at the University of Science and Technology of Toyahashi, Japan, also pointed out: "I think if people and humanoid non creatures are pro social, it is good to have people and their future society. They and humans with compassion are conducive to pro social behavior. Robots and physical dolls that help us or interact with us should have human resonance with them."





--Reprinted from the public account: Entity doll combat experience