Do you want a robot to be your emotional support friend or reminder to do things?

Thanks for sharing this, it really makes sense to me.

Having something that can give different options or perspectives in the moment would help a lot, especially when stress or overload makes it hard to think clearly.

And yes, sometimes the problem is just the environment being unreasonable.

I agree that support like this forum can help us make sense of things, even if it’s harder to use it n the moment.

Thanks for putting it so clearly.

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Thanks for the link Iain, but I won't be looking at it there are enough things in life that give me the ick without searching for more.

One fo the reasons I went off so many cartoons is because of the influence of Japan, all the figures look so angular, there no softness, all sharp points and edges. I've never been able to get on with animae or manga either.

I do find thier attitudes towards women and children disturbing, but then theres so much that I find odd about their culture, I know some people are fascinated by it, but whenever I've seen it on telly, it looks like a nightmare.

"For such an advanced culture they seem backwards in many ways"

sums up humanity to me....

Phased said:

that's a bit disturbing

So much of Japanese culture has disturbing undertones when you look closely.

A major example of this is related to child pron - ownership was only banned 11 years ago and there are a lot of exemptions to it.

When you are in Japan you can see that equality of the sexes is so far behind the Western world that it is scary - women really do have a hard time with men there.

For such an advanced culture they seem backwards in many ways to our views.

ok - that's a bit disturbing...

They’ve got a whole subculture revolving around creepy cuteness (Gurokawa). A lot of people here in the United States eat that stuff up.

Gloomy Bear coo... that really is a pretty "dark" insight to human experience....

TheCatWoman said:

Why do the Japanese always want things to look cute? I don't find a lot of that sort of stuff cute, I find it creepy.

They do non-cutsie stuff too, but I think people are always looking to escape the constraints of their very rigid social structure and etiquette and cute seems to work for many of them.

Consider Gloomy Bear - it will eviscerate you with its claws or fangs if you so much as look at it wrong:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloomy_the_Naughty_Grizzly

I did actually mean an academic type of argument, a robust exchange of views, sometimes a row, would it lsten to me rant? Would it end up with an inferiority complex?

Why do the Japanese always want things to look cute? I don't find a lot of that sort of stuff cute, I find it creepy.

I don't know what it's saying as it's speaking Japanese, but it looks cute.

I.wouldn't want a robot in human form but a z small cute animal type one like this is ok.

a consideration I would like to share please Lonehare12 

The incapacity for an autistic person to be able to identify hidden expectations, social rules or to be able to "say the right thing" may be due to a variety of factors.

A small AI robot would potentially be able to analyse a myriad of factors and generate a set of possible responses to these factors.

The one that is ultimately employed remains potentially subject to selection - this based upon a variety of biases and choices  "rules".  Perhaps one might set these up before employing with it...  "today i am taking no sh1t from anyone, except..." or "today i am being very empathetic and giving" or " today I just want to completely ignore (politely) any communication on these topics..."

This behaviour might in some sense be one's "personality". 

In so far as how one selects which choice is possible? I concur that having different perspectives from that which one might be both habituated towards and indeed able to create based upon the information available to one provided by an advisor on such matters is indeed an attractive proposition.  Human society has behaved like this among themselves without the use of robots for some time.  I suspect that when people engage with this forum this is what is taking place.

I suspect that a important component of such engagement is that ideally we would have that support "in the moment" - this site does not enable that unless one has been able to "internalise" something from it that works "in the moment".

On a practical basis for how one might be able to do this oneself without assistance I am drawn to think in 3 main themes. 

1 the autistic brain simply cannot perform these tasks without extra hard work - might be blocked from doing so by excess sensory stimulus etc...  It is because one is autistic...

2 The high levels of stress and anxiety that one is constantly bathed in pushes one into "cognitive dysfunction" such that one is unable to make such decisions oneself without being in "survival mode".

3 Neurotypical people and society are often pathologically mad.

hehe I suspect there are elements of truth in all of these factors (and no doubt others) carefully spending time and effort to resolve these things might be self empowering and perhaps "self-healing".

I get what you mean about conversations being harder with NT people.

I often feel like I’m double checking everything.

It’s exhausting.

I think that’s partly why the idea of a small AI robot appealed to me.

It feels like it would take some of that pressure off. No hidden expectations, no social rules I can’t see, and no feeling like I’ve said the wrong thing.

Maybe for me it’s more the comfort of something predictable, especially when people can feel quite complicated.

TheCatWoman said:

I do miss a good conversational argument and sometimes even a row.

I don't think they are designed to promote conflict like having an arguement.

I'm starting to have a lot more sympathy for the tech in your house LOL.

I mean, a pet feels like it would be way too much upkeep and stress for me right now (we recently had a greyhound that didn’t like our kids). So maybe in our case a robot would be a better social companion in terms of a pet substitute? I don’t have a huge need for socialization, but I do miss the comfort and stability of having a pet.

Not to mention the helping with executive functioning could help my daughter and me…

Would this robot thing be able to cope with a good arguement? I rarely get lonely for people as a lumpen mass, but I do miss a good conversational argument and sometimes even a row. Could it do an academic discussion or would it just parrot wikipedia?

With my phobic reaction to masks, puppets and clowns, if a robot approached me, I'd be more likely punch it out of a phobic reaction, or run away screeming depending on my mood or where it was.

Yes, a checklist/format works well - for example the manner  in which committees are run.  (at least as I understand and experience it how they are meant to be run....)

Written communication has the benefit of both parties being able to return to phases of the communication to reflect on whether and when misunderstandings might have arisen.  This naturally relies upon all parties involved being both willing and open to doing so.

I concur with the issue of having to hold all aspects in one's mind while doing it.

I suspect the primary issue that we might all deal with there are issues relating to thinking and acting in past, present and future terms.  

In a previous thread there is reference to an article where some people might be said to re-invent the past to justify how they wish the present to be.  Something that is clearly documented is difficult to contend (although transcription of events incorrectly or failing to take into account all perspectives (for whatever reasons) does make this problematic.

There is also the potential that the two parties might not have the same goal in mind of the communication and they are not privy to one another's thinking in this respect.  (these things might not be clearly defined, one or other is hiding something from the other or themselves or simply being deceitful)  Furthermore communication goals advance "freestyle".

Much of this seems to me to be about trust and collaboration.

Probably an additional way of overcoming these issues is to incorporate "check phases" in the communication.  What do you think of...

E.g.: I might ask:  "What do you think about my reply Iain ?

Was it relevant/ a reasonable understanding of what you wrote about?  (hehe or am I just "off on one!")

Have you any questions of me to clarify and or explore whether you can trust what I said?

Then I suppose I want to ask you what can you tell me to help me understand more please?

Then have we come to a shared, mutual agreement collaboratively and can we both state it? (hehe even if its " we disagree on this")

Phased said:

I think the tricky thing that complicates things is that both oneself and another person have "agenda", expectations etc from an interview or conversation.

Would it be practical to work from a checklist of sorts where the details need to be given in a particular format for these events, thus taking away the chance of ommission and also clearly pointing out who is responsible if incorrect info is given?

I found that removing the option for freestyling the info exchange removes a lot of the worry for me. Of course I need to check the data is complete but this is much faster than trying to hold all aspects in my mind while doing it.

I understand your bias there Lonehare12 .

I find engaging in conversation with (especially) neurotypical people harder because I also have to work hard on making sure they have understood what I have said to them and also making sure I have understood what they have said to me.  

I think the tricky thing that complicates things is that both oneself and another person have "agenda", expectations etc from an interview or conversation.  Maybe this fits with the autistic issue in this Lonehare12 ?

as other good people have pointed out that the providers of AI have an ulterior motive in our using it - this is something problematic

I agree, when we let someone or something do our thinking for us it's really important to know they are trustworthy and they have our best interests at "heart".

Interestingly these is the same topic that Asimov, appears to me, to be exploring in the "I Robot" series.

I think the things we are seeing this Christmas have been around for many years in Japan. AI robots will need to be more adaptable and less 'Retail' for people to buy in, otherwise its just gimmickery