Robot Pets May Replace Live Animals in the Future

It turns out that robotic pets may be on the rise. An animal welfare researcher has proposed that robopets and virtual pets replacing real animals may not be as farfetched as we may think.

"It might sound surreal for us to have robotic or virtual pets, but it could be totally normal for the next generation," said Jean-Loup Rault, one of the researchers, in a news release. "It is not a question of centuries from now. If 10 billion human beings live on the planet in 2050 as predicted, it's likely to occur sooner than we think. If you'd described Facebook to someone 20 years ago, they'd think you were crazy. But we are already seeing people form strong emotional bonds with robot dogs in Japan."

In the mid-90s, Tamagotchis-virtual pets-became highly popular among children and even young adults. Now there's a similar craze about robotic dogs. In fact, people are becoming so attached to their robot dogs that they hold funerals for them when the circuits die.

"Robots can, without a doubt, trigger human emotions," said Rault. "If artificial pets can produce the same benefits we get from live pets, does that mean that our emotional bond with animals is really just an image that we project on to our pets?"

Researchers are currently interesting in seeing whether a surge in popularity of robotic, fake pets could lead to a shift in how humanity treats animals.

"Of course we care about live animals, but if we become used to a robotic companion that doesn't need food, water or exercise, perhaps it will change how humans care about other living beings."

The latest study reveals that in the not-too-distant future, we may see more robotic pets. Not only that, but it raises important questions about the ethics of these pets.

The findings are published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

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