Publish at January 27 2021 Updated February 14 2024
Numerous works of science fiction in literature, film and, more recently, video have raised questions about the relationship between man and machine.
Some are confident, others distrustful, but all feel an immense fascination for robots. Ex-Machina, Her and Detroit : Become Human question the possibility of a machine experiencing emotions and feelings and, more profoundly, the controversy of living as a couple with a robot. Utopia or dystopia? Everyone wonders, and rightly so. Let's take a closer look at the question, based on observed facts.
The first question is: can a human feel affection for a robot? The answer is yes.
In fact, Japanese engineer Kaname Hayashi explains in an ulyces.co article that humans could become emotionally attached to a robot in the same way as they would a cat or dog, because the robot could provide a form of comfort and fill an emotional and relational gap. People often lend feelings to their pets, so why shouldn't it be the same with a robot? Kaname Hayashi adds that a human being is quite capable of loving his or her car, what is more commonly known as mechanophilia, i.e. the attraction a human feels for a machine, particularly a vehicle. It is therefore entirely possible for a human to become attached to a robot.
Sociologist and couple therapist Stephen Vasey goes even further in an article for femina.ch: the difficulties of relationships in today's society could lead humans to turn to a robot for an easier, almost routine and monotonous married life. But aren't we already seeing this pattern taking shape in some countries?
In Japan, there are connected speakers containing a holographic manga character which, like Google Home, takes care of playing music or turning on the lights. The only difference lies in the way these speakers are presented by their creator, Gatebox, who describes them more as a virtual girlfriend. Indeed, this connected speaker will send numerous love messages to its user's phone just as a physical girlfriend would. In this country, where the number of singles is considerable (cf.nippon.com), these connected speakers are a huge success!
Sociologist and couple therapist Stephen Vasey believes that humans could well be capable of falling in love with a robot, because they would imagine a romance with it, just as they already do with their partner. After all, isn't love primarily about dreams and illusions that we transfer to our partner? Humans are therefore capable of entering into a relationship with a robot that could amply satisfy them, but that doesn't mean it's good for them, as a work like Her illustrates.
In his blog vizir.co, Thomas Maitre explains that the machine is increasingly important to man, as it has become an essential tool in our professional and personal lives ever since the industrial revolution. Indeed, today it would seem unthinkable to write a report by hand or do accounts with an abacus, just as it's impossible for many not to check their email or Instagram feed.
Computers, tablets and smartphones play an important role in our daily lives, but this is more a matter of will than need. So who suddenly needs a new phone with few innovative features? Yes, we're already living off our machines.
It would seem that the tool is taking on an almost affective role in our lives, but make no mistake, it's not about love, it's about dependence. That's the real risk of loving a robot.
Researcher Laurence Devillers tells Ici.fr that this dystopian scenario seems the most likely. She explains that humans can turn simple satisfaction at the fact that a machine can pay them attention, call them directly by their first name and propose a list of things they like, into attachment. But this is certainly not love. Indeed, love is not this constant need for affection and attention from another person; on the contrary, it's a strong feeling for a particular person, almost a complete acceptance of his or her being, faults and qualities.
Of course, every definition of love is subjective. According to Laurence Devillers, the risk of the human's loving dependence on the robot lies first and foremost in its isolation.
We've asked ourselves whether a human is capable of loving a robot, but is the same true of the latter? Let's start by recalling that robots are machines programmed to meet certain criteria, so some robots can reproduce affective human behavior, as Laurence Devillers and Telos explain in slate.fr.
However, robots will never be able to develop a form of empathy or conscience, as many works such as Automata would have us believe. Let's not forget that robots are shells that don't cry, don't feel, don't desire; it's not possible for them to experience that indescribable and powerful feeling that is love! So, can a robot fall in love with a human? The answer is no. At least not yet.
That's not to say that a relationship with a robot is necessarily impossible. After all, many people pair up without being in love, but it can't be denied that a certain affection floats between them. Being in a relationship with a robot may ultimately seem like a one-way love, but it's certainly not a very pleasant experience, as confirmed by an article on amelioretasante.com. In this article, the author highlights the frustration, pain and disappointment of living as a couple with someone who doesn't love you. Why should it be any different with a robot?
The definition of a couple is vague, complex and subjective. However, we can say that the term "couple" refers to two people who trust and respect each other. Indeed, these two values are the most fundamental in a couple.
When we take a closer look at how a robot works, we see that it has to be obedient, accommodating and pleasant (see femina.ch). Doesn't this immediately reveal the problem? Let's go a step further: in an article on nospensees.fr, we read that the first concept of a robot/human couple would in fact be with a "sexbot", i.e. a sex robot. In the same article, these robots are described as obedient to their "spouse's" desires, so it's possible that a robot would agree to be beaten to please him.
The whole problem of the robot/human couple is summed up here, since it's not at all a question of a couple relationship, but of a master-slave relationship. Can a human and a robot really live as a couple? And won't this, over time, have a negative impact on human relationships? This question remains to be explored. But beyond feelings of love, it's safe to say that a relationship between a robot and a human remains incongruous.
Life as a couple with a robot? Utopia or dystopia? Nothing seems to point in the direction of the latter. A dependent relationship, a one-way relationship, a power relationship... Of course, a "couple" life between a human and a robot is certainly not impossible, and many cases have already appeared today, but it clearly doesn't look good for humans in the long term.
When we take a closer look at the literary, cinematic and videogame works that speak of empathy and emotion in robots, aren't they rather talking about the emancipation of machines over their creator?
Source:
http://www.slate.fr/story/108717/relations-affectives-robot
https://www.femina.ch/societe/actu-societe/demain-tous-amoureux-de-robots
https://www.vizir.co/blog/intelligence-artificielle/relation-homme-machine/
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9canophilie
https://www.nippon.com/fr/in-depth/g00768/
https://amelioretasante.com/aimer-quelquun-qui-ne-nous-aime-pas-que-peut-faire/
https://nospensees.fr/une-personne-et-un-robot-les-nouveaux-amants-du-futur/
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