Virtual Children :D

[Nimos]

Virtual children must be the next thing, then you can just turn them off when you get tired of them crying and customize them etc. !!! Is anyone else thinking billion-dollar company here?.. the child of the future, or a test child for people not sure they can manage/want a child.

Wong pointed out that smart toys including teddy bears could use "AI to generate stories customized for the kid rather than reading from a book," because they will have access to personal information about the child.

"You can incorporate not only the kid's name but the kid's daily activities. [It] knows you go to which school . . . who your friends are. It can actually be telling a story and talking almost like a good friend," he said.

"The kids . . . can actually talk to the toy, and the toy can actually give [them] a response," he added. "So [there are] many, many possibilities."

Wong acknowledged that some of the possibilities including AI being privy to details about a child are "a little scary," and emphasized that "we should be aware of the dangers, on privacy, security, what kinds of things to teach and what not to teach."

AI-powered teddy bears

 

[ChristineM]

Can i swap my 3 live and kicking children for one AI test child with an off switch. That would be a bargain...

 

[Nimos]

Can i swap my 3 live and kicking children for one AI test child with an off switch. That would be a bargain...

You just get a button with "Spawn new child" and then a "Delete child", then you put on some VR glasses.

And BAM!!! you have your own new family.

I honestly can't even imagine what the world might look like in 5-10 years once all these AI / robotics etc. get integrated everywhere. I just hope it works out for the majority of people.

 

[ChristineM]

I honestly can't even imagine what the world might look like in 5-10 years once all these AI / robotics etc. get integrated everywhere. I just hope it works out for the majority of people.

I don't think I'll be going that way. I can imagine getting involved and losing the life going on around you

 

[JustGeorge]

To all those teens that are at risk of getting pregnant...

Virtual Ares!

That should take care of that.

 

[Soandso]

I foresee a fate similar to all the virtual pets like tamagotchis that died due to neglect while surrounded by poo

 

[Nimos]

I don't think I'll be going that way. I can imagine getting involved and losing the life going on around you

I hope not

I just think this illustrates that there is no limit to where or what people will go to integrate these technologies. And if things go as they usually do, people will use them.

But even a lot of kids today are very disconnected from their parents, spending all their time playing computer games, TV etc. Never using their imagination for anything.

 

[Nimos]

I foresee a fate similar to all the virtual pets like tamagotchis that died due to neglect while surrounded by poo

I don't think so, if anything I think you will go the opposite way, that they will be so life-like that people will feel bad for neglecting them. (Not talking about virtual children, that was obviously a joke ) but you could make a companion or friend etc. They have opinions, "feeling" etc. That is already happening now.

And I think it will only get expanded on the better these AIs become.

 

[Nimos]

Also if people are tired of their dog, they can get this one, you just throw a fur coat on it

And if you need a bounty guard or someone to walk the dog.

You can create a real little happy family

 

[Callisto]

It's closer than it may seem. For decades there have been "reborn baby dolls", hyper-realistic looking dolls that has a disturbing subculture. I can appreciate the artistry but find the dolls creepy af, like someone keeping a corpse. I can only imagine the addition of AI will worsen some people's mental health. Some claim it helps their anxiety but given the level of attachment people can form I question the use as a coping mechanism.

On the upside, these dolls are sometimes used in a clinical capacity to help Alzheimer's and dementia patients.

Reborn dolls