cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/37869574
Bruh, just give them a cat to pet lol
A robot programmed to act like a 7-year-old girl works to combat fear and loneliness in hospitals
Submitted 6 months ago by Pro@programming.dev to technology@lemmy.world
https://apnews.com/article/robin-ai-robot-hospitals-nursing-homes-140dce655c41c1ae1812f651625f09d6
Comments
DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 6 months ago
onslaught545@lemmy.zip 6 months ago
It’s not the best idea to have a source of allergens, dangerous pathogens, and parasites around sick children.
T156@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Stuffed toy you can autoclave?
markovs_gun@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Is it bad this is the first thing I thought of? I can’t imagine people won’t do absolutely horrifying things to a robot programmed to act like a 7 year old
StopSpazzing@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Found a former long time reddit user.
tidderuuf@lemmy.world 6 months ago
I take it the people who designed this never had an evil genius 7 yo daughter who constantly terrorized their parents?
morto@piefed.social 6 months ago
That would just make me feel fear and loneliness
Agent641@lemmy.world 6 months ago
To help lessen your fear and loneliness, robochild will stand silently by your bedside all night while you sleep, keeping her eyes open without blinking the whole time to make sure you’re safe.
morto@piefed.social 6 months ago
Doctors, euthanize me, please!
Chronographs@lemmy.zip 6 months ago
Every time you finally start to fall asleep and snore a little too loudly: “Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”
ICastFist@programming.dev 6 months ago
The idea isn’t new or evil per se, since anyone that had to spend 2+ days in a hospital knows how dreadful it can feel. The problem here is relying on current AI tech, which may end up suggesting suicide during the chats, and the companies’ pinky promises that your privacy and data won’t be leaked or sold to the lowest bidder
freeman@feddit.org 6 months ago
I agree, but usually the vendor picks the highest bidder ;)
jjlinux@lemmy.zip 6 months ago
That’s and AI pedophile magnet 🤣
helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Better to catch them with a robot kid than with real ones.
kami@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 months ago
Or a treatment
Telorand@reddthat.com 6 months ago
Oh good, now they’re taking the jobs of certified comfort/support dogs? The solution nobody asked for, JFC.
BzzBiotch@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Let’s throw a clanker at a problem that obviously needs a human solution. What could go wrong?
Also: would it maybe be cheaper to just hire a human for this? Seems like the development of such a machine would be much more expensive that just hiring a guy.
Chronographs@lemmy.zip 6 months ago
I mean it’s definitely more expensive to pay someone for their time assuming you’d presumably have an army of these to replace with people. But it’d also be am actual solution instead of whatever fresh hell this is
BzzBiotch@lemmy.world 6 months ago
I don’t think it’s more expensive to hire people for this work than to develop and produce a bunch of robots that are obviously not up to the task.
How could they ever be? Loneliness can only be adressed through sincere human contact. Any other (robotic) solution is financially wasteful at best and disastrously counterproductive at worst.
coolmojo@lemmy.world 6 months ago
I suspect a seven year old little girl wouldn’t ask for too much salary either. /s
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 6 months ago
I’m guessing cute bandaids and an ice cream cone would be sufficient.
probable_possum@leminal.space 6 months ago
" Can I come with you?"
– little boy in Screamers (1995)IcyToes@sh.itjust.works 6 months ago
Oh shit. That’s memories. Creeped me the hell out back in the day…
probable_possum@leminal.space 6 months ago
Good times.:)
ShieldsUp@startrek.website 6 months ago
I think I would be offended if some robot came up to try and provide emotional support. Its fake, and reminds me that our society values profit over human life. This should not be normalized as a necessity due to missing money that is going to the pockets of administrators, owners, whoever else…this is pathetic.
sqgl@sh.itjust.works 6 months ago
The example in the article is of a kid patient.
Landless2029@lemmy.world 6 months ago
I have to admit if I was a small child of 8-10 and Eve from Wall-E rolled up I’d be giddty to play with it, but even then I wouldn’t expect it to replace actual human contact.
ShieldsUp@startrek.website 6 months ago
Sure, I just can’t help but imagine how I personally would react if this became common for all patients.
Kolanaki@pawb.social 6 months ago
Fr, fr. At least when a human fakes it there is the possibility that they aren’t faking it. A machine that is incapable of feeling loses all ambiguity.