PerfectPet
A thought experiment
The year is 2030. After my sweet doggie Godzilla died, I was thinking I was too old to get another dog, but my wife said I need a dog. I visited a shelter and was tempted but daunted. So I looked into AI dogs and was amazed at PerfectPet.
As in buying a car, you start by choosing a model, for example, golden retriever, cockapoo, or pit bull. You pick a temperament: independent, moderate, or snuggly. Of course, you can name it, for example, Chip or Pixel, and it will come when called.
PerfectPet has a thermostat, default-set at 65 degrees in summer, so lying next to you in bed, it’s cooling, or 72 degrees in winter, so it’s warming. Of course, you can manually override.
Most central is PerfectPet’s machine learning: It continually learns what you like. For example, if Chip hears that you talk longer when it tilts its head, it tilts. It starts at 30 degrees but discerns tone of voice and if pleasant, tries tilting another few degrees. It keeps increasing until your voice becomes less pleasant. And it’s an ever patient, emotionally sensitive tutor, varying in style and pace based on user performance and preferences. The adaptation is continuous. And it has user-controlled sliders: user-controlled for intelligence, mercy vs justice, consistency vs variability, consensus “truth” vs edgy ideas. To reduce risk, parental approval would be required after initial setup and before any changes can be made. PerfectPet’s algorithm is ever improving, so as with GPS traffic, it continually updates.
Get Marty Nemko’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
And of course, PerfectPet never barks, let alone bites.
Pushbacks, all of which can be addressed in pilot testing: Will it reduce the user’s desire to interact with others, perhaps judging them inferior to PerfectPet? And from an epistemological and ethical perspective, while non-traditional, is that necessarily bad, especially when weighed against the pros, such as PerfectPet giving the user an individualized high-quality tutor, emotional support, even wisdom generator 24/7/365.
Yes, PerfectPet costs $995 but as its website says, “Not counting the cost of buying a traditional dog, in just a year, you’ll save more than that in kibble, grooming, and vet bills. Shots and teeth cleaning alone can cost $1,000. And if the dog gets sick, wow! Multiply the savings over a traditional dog’s lifespan and the savings could pay for a down payment on a home.” Concerns about increasing inequality are addressable as with most redistributive programs: PerfectPet can be means-tested for the poor.
Of course, with so many people owning a dog, companies are competing, well, ferociously, to build a better doggie, for example, one that can read your mind.
My wife just sighs.
I read this aloud on YouTube.
Marty Nemko has a real doggie and is the author of 36 books including Thought Experiments and Little Doggie Stories. He holds a Ph.D. specializing in the evaluation of innovation from U.C. Berkeley. You can reach him at mnemko@gmail.com
