New 'Friend' Necklace Offers AI Companionship

[Piggie]

Loneliness cannot be cured by machines.

I would agree with you "Today"
However, this is only a matter of time.

It would be like saying, going back many decades when the very 1st scratchy wax cylinder audio player was first invented, and someone saying that Mechanical audio playback cannot be enjoyable for anyone who appreciates music.
It just needed the tech to gradually improve to a point where, with the right equipment you can close your eyes, sit back and experience something as is you were sitting there listening to live musicians playing.

Machines can and hopefully will advance to the point where millions of lonely people can feel better/happier and have something to interact with. It may not look like a human, but humans are brilliant at getting over that hurdle.

Take people on this forum with a family and kids.
Over years their kids move far away, perhaps over time some of your kids pass away themselves.
You partner passes away.
Your neighbours don't want much to do with you.
You and not able to do the things you used to do, so end up in a chair/bed most of the day, watching TV as that's all you can do, and if you are lucky you may have a 10 minute visit each day from someone who brings food.

You give them a device they can talk to, interact with and makes them not feel alone in their final years.
That's a winning and amazing product when it happens.

 

[Exponent]

You give them a device they can talk to, interact with and makes them not feel alone in their final years.
That's a winning and amazing product when it happens.

That isn't a "winning and amazing product".
That is a dystopian hell.

How about the kids go over and visit and care for their parents and grandparents?
How about people have kids again? (Anyone look at our failing Western Civilization "reproduction rate" lately?)

 

[Piggie]

That isn't a "winning and amazing product".
That is a dystopian hell.

How about the kids go over and visit and care for their parents and grandparents?
How about people have kids again? (Anyone look at our failing Western Civilization "reproduction rate" lately?)

I agree, however there is no point in saying things that are not going to happen.
In other countries you get generations that all live together. Grandparents, Parents and Children.
In the West UK/USA etc, the young are often away doing their own thing, often move far away.
We get rid of old people into care homes.

It's very sad, but that's how many in our society are these days.

Here's a fact:
"In the U.S., 27% of adults ages 60 and older live alone"

That's terrible isn't it, but saying it should not happen changes nothing.

 

[steve09090]

Here's a fact:
"In the U.S., 27% of adults ages 60 and older live alone"

That's terrible isn't it, but saying it should not happen changes nothing.

But deliberately creating something that supports being alone as a viable solution, goes the other way. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Even the last scene of that God Awful video, the girl makes a conscience choice to not interact with her mechanical crutch. Many would choose the crutch because it’s easier, not because it’s the better choice.

Living in a comfort bubble has its place, but there is no growth in that bubble.

 

[Piggie]

But deliberately creating something that supports being alone as a viable solution, goes the other way. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Even the last scene of that God Awful video, the girl makes a conscience choice to not interact with her mechanical crutch. Many would choose the crutch because it’s easier, not because it’s the better choice.

Living in a comfort bubble has its place, but there is no growth in that bubble.

You have a point, but unless you can come up with a way of forcing people to have to legally look after their elderly, or the government creating a whole new line of workers who's job it is to keep the elderly company for hours every day I'm not seeing any real alternative.

Old people, sadly have gone from being looked up to as a "Wise old person" to a liability, not good for anything, not contributing to society, and just costing money to society.
I'm not seeing any willpower being given to change that, in fact I can only see it getting worse.
I myself have 4 elderly female neighbours, ranging from 72 to 90 years old, and they are technically alone.
Husbands of three have died (various reasons) and one husband lives in another country (weird situation!)

We can deny this is a problem which does not help them.
We can change laws which means forcing or paying people to be with them more, not going to happen.
Or we can try and be creative and come up with perhaps some other way to make them feel less alone.
Is "something to talk to" can be created and makes them feel less lonely I'd not be the one to stand in the way of that happening.
"I'd rather them feel lonely and not have anything to interact with whatsoever" is not a stance I'd wish to take.

Moving away from the elderly, there are tens of millions of Introverts around the world who simply don't like talking to people much who may like something else they can talk to when they feel like it.

Personally, if they can get a "chat bot" like an Apple/Google/Amazon box that sits in the home, and I can actually talk to. It has a long term memory, it's all local, no security issues, I'd buy one today

 

[VulchR]

...
You and not able to do the things you used to do, so end up in a chair/bed most of the day, watching TV as that's all you can do, and if you are lucky you may have a 10 minute visit each day from someone who brings food.
...

I don't dispute that this is how people die often, but it won't happen to me. I've seen two generations of my family go through this, so the moment I suspect this is eventuality is nearing I am taking a bottle of whiskey to the Highlands and disappearing.

 

[Graphate]

Fixed

Nice, and probably true. But I honestly could see how this could be a prescribed product to a certain type of person. But free rein on the market seems like another type of person could be seriously harmed by it.

 

[Piggie]

May I dare to suggest if Apple were to produce a product like the homepod that you could talk to in natural normal language and it was private to the device, you could decide on its personality etc, the. It would be an amazing success.

 

[VulchR]

May I dare to suggest if Apple were to produce a product like the homepod that you could talk to in natural normal language and it was private to the device, you could decide on its personality etc, the. It would be an amazing success.

Until you have friends over... Kinda like have kids saying awkward things at inopportune times.

 

[Piggie]

Until you have friends over... Kinda like have kids saying awkward things an inopportune times.

Well, it's a good point, but if we are talking about advanced AI then this should not be a problem.

You may appear like a normal human couple.
You and your partner both have brains and are intelligent (whatever that means scientifically)
When you are alone together and want to have some fun, you may role play, you may be into spanking/bdsm or any other such agreed upon private pleasure/kink you are into/

When family come around, you change how you speak and act due to who is with you.
We all do this and adapt our behaviour and language to the situation we find ourselves in.

Church / Football match / Drinks Bar / Adult venue.

I don't see any reason why an AI can not be just as good at understanding a situation, either by being told, or by listening and understanding the manner of the conversation around at any given moment.

One could even, for example have multiple personalities of AI in your home device.

You could flip between Tiffany Bangles, and William Smith with one command.