'Robotic Pets May Replace Real Ones In A Decade'
"Robots can, without a doubt, trigger human emotions," Rault added.
"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?" he said.
"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," said Rault.
Rault said it is not too far-fetched to imagine that robot pets of the future could feature bonafide Artificial Intelligence and could learn to think and respond on their own.
"When engineers work on robotic dogs, they work on social intelligence, they address what people need from their dogs: companionship, love, obedience, dependence," he said.
The findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
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