Robot lovers have gone on sale for 160,000 dollars (272,000 manats). More than 13,000 orders have already been placed. How will growing interest in such robots affect people’s relationships, the institution of the family and social life in the future?
Can artificial intelligence and robotic technologies replace human relationships?
Sociologist Yusif Nabiyev told Globalinfo.az that the growing number of robots will have a negative impact on people’s families and relationships:
“Because we see this effect not only in robotic technologies but also in another transformation taking place in the Western world. People are moving away from starting families and from family relationships, and are more inclined to keep pets. Many people even replace their closest human relationships with relationships with animals and think that this satisfies them. This has a destructive effect on the institution of the family. People are less inclined to marry, and even those who do marry show little enthusiasm for having children. Given that this is a change occurring on a social scale, it is probably no secret why it has a destructive effect on family relationships. Some people may think that artificial intelligence and robotic technologies cannot replace human relationships. People will seek human warmth from each other anyway. But I take a somewhat pessimistic view of this scenario.”
The sociologist noted that replacing human relationships will be possible:
“It must be accepted that the human relationships we value so highly are by no means irreplaceable for everyone. Because the quality of human relationships is directly proportional to the quality of the person himself. The connections formed by people who are unable to build deep relationships and who form low-quality human relationships are, in any case, of poor quality. And such relationships can easily be replaced by artificial intelligence, a chatbot or a robot. For people who do not build their everyday relationships in a particularly deep and high-quality way, robots can serve as a substitute. As I said, we see this in the example of relationships with animals as well. For many people, relationships with animals can replace relationships with people. Because these people do not want to take on mutual obligations, build equal relationships and sustain them, or they cannot enjoy doing so. They want a party before them that is unconditionally submissive, that only offers support but demands nothing. Like animals, for example.”
According to Yusif Nabiyev, robots can also replace the relationships of this type of people:
“The main question is whether it is a negative or a positive thing that such people do not start families and do not have children. This is already an ethical and philosophical matter and is open to discussion. In my opinion, it would be better if people who are unable to build deep human relationships and do not understand the value of mutual obligations did not start families and did not have children.”
Zaira Akifqızı
Globalinfo.az
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