Man's best friend = man's artificial-intelligence-created lover? That's the gist of a new study that shows a significant number of pet owners wouldn't mind dating their pets if an AI version of them could be created, reports the New York Post. According to the MetLife survey of 1,000 domesticated-animal devotees on how owning a pet impacts their lives, 31% would go out with (in a romantic sense) a human version of their own pet if they existed. Nearly 80%, meanwhile, say their pet offers better emotional support than the last human partner they had.
"Instead of giving my husband, Alex, a kiss, I wake up and give [my dog] all my kisses," A New Jersey divorce attorney told the Post in a somewhat-related story earlier this year. "It's the same before we go to sleep at night." Even if the romance with Robo Rover didn't pan out, nearly 90% of respondents said they think they'd get along with their pet as a human, with 45% speculating they'd even be friends.
But—because there's always a "but"—about 40% of pet owners admitted that if AI could bring their Fido or Fluffy to human-like fruition, that new creation would be a "walking red flag." Some of those warning traits that owners speculate the AI versions of their pets would have include needing constant attention (42%), being too clingy (32%), not understanding boundaries (30%), and becoming easily jealous or territorial (29%).
story continues below
A few other stats from the poll:
- About two-thirds of pet owners say they prioritize their pet's needs and comfort over their own.
- More than 80% say they wouldn't date someone who hated their pet.
- Nearly 90% admit they'd give up on their dream apartment if it couldn't accommodate their non-human friend.
More
here.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
