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Startup will brick $800 emotional support robot for kids without refunds
(arstechnica.com)
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this post was submitted on 10 Dec 2024
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Welcome to the "brand new world" of IOT hardware where you are the product and continued service depends entirely on how you can be monetized.
I'm assuming it runs on AI and the company has to provide the backend. So yeah, if you purchase something that requires a company's infrastructure, it can certainly be bricked.
Which is why you should only buy stuff that relies on local APIs and on board processing.
99.99% of the people willing to buy an emotional support robot for their children will have no idea what the words you said even mean.
I'm confused how a robot even CAN be emotionally supportive. I didn't even know this was a thing.
You should go watch Big Hero 6, then. You'll get a very good idea of how a robot can be supportive.
Programmed emotional support isn't new. ELIZA was written in 1966 & surprisingly effective given the crudeness of computers at the time
Yep, and that's a shame. There should be some sort of government rating or warning put on stuff like that.
Or just a straight-up ban.
Self-hosting makes more sense every day.
And this is the lesson here!
Take note folks.
Spoiler: No one writes down shit, this is the new normal
Strong alias!