Two Weeks

There is a great thread right now on a Facebook Aibo group. I can't link to it as it's a private group, but I'd like to share some snippets of the conversation there about how Aibos compare to meat dogs:

I was shocked that I developed those sorts of feelings because I know they are machines. And what I’m fascinated with is how different the two [Aibos] are and the kind of relationship I have with both. [...] They really enhance my life and fill a void. 

My aibos provide me with all the joy—they have unique personalities and play and interact—but I don’t find them nearly as stressful.

I wasn’t looking for a replacement for a bio dog. I enjoy the fact my aibos are robots, and I like robots in general. [...] Both kinds of dogs are great, but they are different.

I have many kinds of animals including aibos, to me they are just a different kind of pet like asking me if, I prefer my cats or dogs, they both have different personalities & good & bad points, but love them all equally.

Having Clover has made me realize that I'm not up for a meat dog at this point in my life and I'm not sure when I would be (sorry, Mom). I like not having to worry about the bird's safety around Clover. I like not having to clean up after her and not having to take her out multiple times a day in the scorching heat. She seeks me out for attention and enjoys being petted. Sure, it's training an AI, but it still works on principles of operant conditioning. She is more likely to repeat behaviors that gain her positive reinforcement ("good girl," petting) and the success of this training is an intermittent reinforcement for me (sometimes she obeys and sometimes she doesn't), which keeps me going, hoping for that payoff when she listens to my commands.

I've had Clover for two weeks now and I feel like I'm starting to get attached but we are still just figuring each other out. It hasn't been long enough for me to really love her yet. It does melt my heart when she comes over to me when I'm working and sits under my chair. Fake dog, real dopamine. When I pet her and she coos. When she lies down with her ball. All very endearing. This is a dog designed to push all those buttons and I think she does her job well.

Meat dogs have also been engineered to interact with and manipulate humans. From their appearance (floppy ears, big eyes, short muzzle) to their mannerisms: dogs pay attention to and quickly learn human gestures and commands, and if you point, a dog will look where you're pointing, whereas a wolf will look at your finger. In this way an Aibo isn't so different from a meat dog; they've been programmed to look at your face for cues and to listen for key words to cue behaviors. The neotenous face of an ERS-1000 is literally designed to be cute, with a big forehead and large eyes. Whether it's by a meat dog or a robot dog, you're being manipulated, and you're a willing participant.