Will You Befriend A Robot Like A Human-Friend? A Surprising Reality

Like it or not, the future will demand humans to co-exist with robots. That raises the question, can humans and robots be good friends, or will the pairing cause destruction as they show in sci-fi movies?

In "Robot and Frank", a 2012 movie, the protagonist is a retired cat burglar named Frank who is suffering from early symptoms of dementia. Worried and guilty, Frank's son buys a home robot for him that can talk, do chores like cooking and cleaning, and reminds Frank to take his medicines on time. In the movie, Frank is initially not happy with the thought of living with a robot, but he gradually starts to see the robot as a functional tool and companion. The film ends on a happy note with a bond between a man and a machine. This can be all our future.

Friendship Philosophy

John Danaher, a robotics philosopher, reflects on Greek philosopher Aristotle's meaning of true friendship which talks about a bond premised on mutual goodwill, admiration, and shared values. In a sense, he says friendship is nothing but a partnership of equals. But according to John, building a robot with that level of emotion will be challenging. The closest we have to this philosophy is Hanson Robotic's Sophia. This AI robot lays its behavior on a library of pre-prepared responses which makes it a chatbot rather than a conversational equal. If you interact with Alexa or Siri, you will notice that AI has a long way to go before achieving the Aristotle level of bonding.

Artificial Pals

It has been observed that for some people, interacting with robots comes as naturally as it comes with pets, people, and possessions. Psychologists stated that there are people who respond socially towards computers and televisions, but humanoid robots are vastly different from televisions and computers. It's not just a voice talking, it's a more human-like structure.

A group of UK researchers who came up with a set of ethical principles of robotics claims that a human-robot companionship is an oxymoron and to propagate that robots will understand social cues like humans is dishonest and alarming. On the other hand, there are people who develop bonds of machines like vacuum-cleaning and lawn-trimming machines by giving them pet names. Not just utility machines, Sony's Aibo robot dog is a life-like pet robot that owners have a great bond with. Such stories are evidence that we are capable of having emotional bonds with robots if they don't show any signs of threat.

If all goes well, many of us will follow Frank's path and accept the fact that robots can make for good companions. Humans are social animals and social interaction is rewarding in our own ways. In this manner, it seems possible that people who lack human relations will benefit from a robotic bond and address the need for social interaction like providing physical comfort during distress, emotional support, and enjoyable social exchanges. Maybe expecting an Aristotle-defined bond is an expectation set too high, but a co-existing future with robots is inevitable.