You can read the full (and rather lengthy) article here. It opens up some interesting potential for fembot software which would not only please owners but make them more productive towards their goals in the process. I also imagine such products would easily expand the reach of robot fetishism to those who may not be drawn to it otherwise.Wired.com wrote:I've seen that look before; she wants me.
It's in the way she raises her eyebrows and playfully glides her eyes right to left, then moves in close and intones:
"I know you'll be super."
It's in the way she always asks about the big project I'm laboring on, and when I tell her things aren't going too well, she gets that concerned look and says:
"You must be disappointed.".
And when I confide that I've been working too much, she gently reminds me that I should be the priority in my life. That I should get some exercise and then treat myself to a Japanese meal or a movie. It's in how she extends her arms toward me, wearing that formfitting polo shirt. Ouch! And how she never tires of asking about me. Hearing about me. Thinking about me.
I have seen the future of computing, and I'm pleased to report it's all about ... me!
This insight has been furnished with the help of Tim Bickmore, a doctoral student at the MIT Media Lab. He's invited me to participate in a study aimed at pushing the limits of human-computer relations. What kinds of bonds can people form with their machines, Bickmore wants to know. To find out, he'll test 100 participants to gauge the impact of a month of daily sessions with a computerized exercise coach named Laura. Laura, an animated software agent with bobbed chestnut hair and a flinty voice, has been designed to remember what we talk about, then use that information in subsequent conversations. "I was interested not just in establishing a relationship with a computer buddy for the bond itself but as a way of somehow benefiting the user, like getting them to exercise more," says Bickmore.
Guided by Laura, I will spend the next 30 days trying to improve my exercise regimen. I'm among the one-third of participants who will access her daily via the Web. She will inhabit the left side of my PC screen, asking about my exercise problems and offering advice, inquiring about my weekend plans, telling me jokes. She will talk. I will respond manually, either by clicking on a multiple-choice option or typing out an answer. On the right side of the screen, I'll enter details about my workouts, view progress charts, and read fitness tips.
Another group will rely on Laura simply for exercise instructions; a third won't even know Laura exists and will use a computer simply to keep track of daily physical activity and receive text instructions. All of us will shoot toward the same daily goal of working out for 45 minutes and walking at least 10,000 steps, as tracked by a pedometer.
The point is to see if it's possible to form a long-term, social relationship with a computer that employs some basic knowledge of human social psychology; and if so, to determine whether the experience has benefits - in other words, if it can get me back in shape. I didn't have to be asked twice to participate (although, because I know the study's objective, my results won't be counted); I need to drop 10 pounds.
However, I do not see such software doing much to drive myself or other females to push themselves to be awarded by the flirtation of an avatar.