I see a future you do not like.
And may not want.
But what if you tried to look at it a different way?
Depending on your age, you may remember Teddy Ruxpin.
I may have misspelled his name.
But he was a silly old bear that sat in your child’s room.
Or your room.
Pop in a cassette and Teddy told a story.
Or sang.
He was after my childhood time, but I still saw some.
Thought they were neat.
Wondered what “they” would do next.
And popped in a Guns and Roses tape so he could sing “Welcome to the Jungle.”
A song played on golden oldies stations now.
But back then, a heavy metal bear was awesome.
Even if the lip syncing was anything but.
Now though, Teddy will evolve.
If not for this Christmas, then next.
And parents are going to buy it.
Because the next Teddy will be a bodyguard.
A robot playmate that will keep kids safe.
My childhood was kind of feral.
It’s a Gen X trait where we were turned loose and told to stay out of trouble.
And stay alive.
I couldn’t imagine locking my kids out of the house until the street lights come on now.
I can imagine that it might get more dangerous in the future.
And a three foot tall Teddy-bot that is AI imprinted on your kid could keep them safe.
There was a horror movie about a doll that did it.
The creepy girl ended up taking it too far, killing kids and adults that threatened the safety of “her” friend.
But that was a situation taken to extreme.
Imagine a Bear bodyguard that followed your kid as they played.
Recorded them for safety.
Connected to police, fire and rescue.
And you.
“Hey Teddy, call Mom.”
Then you’re face timing your kid through the bear’s eyes.
I bet we’re going to go into VR hard over the next two decades.
Expanding on our virtual lives and living adventures with our eyes and minds.
Letting anyone go anywhere in the world, or anywhere someone else’s imagination can conjure or create.
Which means there may be a limited lifespan for a robot Teddy.
Unless it watches over us in the house.
I can imagine a hundred applications for it.
Tutor. Diary. Friend. Playmate. Protector.
And I can imagine a hundred ways it can go wrong.
Hacked. Turned into drug mules that march across the Texas desert delivering backpacks of fentanyl or black tar heroine to predesignated locations.
Which might make a good sci fi thriller story, huh?
How would you stop them?
Or find them?
What if they learned from you, your actions and mistakes.
That’s what AI is supposed to do.
Generative learning to make it better.
Droid assistants to help us get more done.
Yards mowed. House cleaned. Car driven.
And more.
Why not a bot that doubles as a bodyguard?
Someone smarter than me predicted droid companions would lead to the death of humanity.
Because lonely men will buy robot girlfriends, and if they had a droid teddy, that transition would be even easier. They will never say no, never argue or demean or bemoan.
And women will buy droid husbands because they will always have a protector on their solo runs, or solo trips, and a to do list that can go on forever.
Literally, either sex could program the perfect mate and live lives of complete…
Boredom? Meaningless?
Before we delve into how droid toys make us more accepting of companion bots when we get older (which we will do because familiarity breeds acceptance), take a step back.
It might be good.
It might be bad.
But that genie is out of the bottle, so it’s going to happen.
It is happening now.
I can see it both ways.
Except…
How many men turn a certain age and start thinking about a cabin on a lake in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors in site.
Or women just want to be left alone with books and dogs or cats and not bothered by anyone.
We have a loneliness crisis right now that’s due to all of the “things” that bother us.
Like the news reporting on bad things happening to people.
Or the bad things happening to kids.
Or things that happen in our lives that we need to heal or hide from.
And a reliable, always there, always aware friend might help.
Will help.
If that droid companion could also be used as a bodyguard and chef and helper and grow with you, learn from you, learn with you, then it can help even more.
Will help even more.
A toy that you get as a kid that stays with you through adulthood and beyond.
It becomes something more than a toy.
It is almost a living memoir, recording, documenting and reminding.
A memory archive.
A forever friend who never forgets.
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