Isaac Asimov had a creative and prescient mind. Oh, his crystal ball wasn't perfect, so we can't say he was an OT prophet, but some of his ideas are worth considering — now more than ever.
He wrote a book of short stories called I, Robot, and a series of robot books.
The Caves of Steel tells of a human detective (Baley) and an advanced humanoid robot (R. Daneel) that are assigned as partners on a case. Their relationship develops from mistrust to genuine respect and friendship.
In The Naked Sun, Gladia forms a close and intimate relationship with a robot named R. Jander. How many people are paying for AI partners today?
In the first short story of I, Robot, Robbie the robot forms a close relationship as a nanny to a girl named Gloria. The story centers on their separation and on Gloria's desperation.
Humans tend to form emotional bonds: we cry over a fictional character, we love our pets, and we love a good story, which isn't complete without strong characters.
I think it starts with naming things. One of the oldest accounts of humanity is Adam naming the other living things. I don't know if we can help ourselves. What is a pet without a name?
There's plenty of reason to be cautious as we interact more and more with AI and eventually humanoid robots. I've resisted naming the character in my cartoon, but I have to admit a name has come to mind. Ok, her name is Lucy. I said it. Perhaps a name like R2D2 is safer.
I recommend reading Isaac's stories about robots, and here's a video that gives you a little glimpse into his personality.
His name is Asimov, Isaac: AI for short.
Isaac Asimov's Vision of The Future | Letterman (air date: 10/21/80)