Dogs of the future. We are a society that loves animals. The proof is that there are communities where it is more common to find families with pets than with children.
Logically, there are more and more pet-friendly places, and products and services focused on the public with pets have experienced enormous growth in recent years.
We abandoned too many animals
Unfortunately, the figures for animal abandonment are so high that they have placed animal abandonment as a serious social problem. Not only on a moral level but also an economic level.
Having a pet is a great responsibility that should never be taken lightly.
Pets are living beings, and should not be acquired on a whim or an impulsive decision. The hundreds of thousands of animals abandoned each year indicate that we are not prepared to care for pets as they deserve. And this must change.
Artificial intelligence can help against animal abandonment
Dogs of the future have some reservations about technological advances. The changes they entail can cause some stress and discomfort. However, the technology used well can be a great tool against social injustices. In this case, against animal abandonment.
Advantages of virtual pets
- They will be unique: each virtual pet will have its personality. This will include playfulness, intelligence, curiosity, kindness, and affection.
- They will be very real: they will need the same care as a real pet to stay healthy and happy. The owners must cover all these needs. Thus, we will play with the pet, clean it, feed it and even take it to the park to socialize with friends. We will also collect her droppings and learn to communicate with her. The pet metaverse will be as close to reality as possible.
- They will not suffer from abandonment: There will be abandonment, but unlike in the real world, the virtual pet will not be harmed.
- They will be a powerful educational resource: virtual pets will allow us to do therapies aimed at people with, for example, a fear of dogs, or teach children how to approach an animal of another species without risk, and other types of educational uses and clinical.
The first virtual pets and how to have one
The Tamagotchi appeared decades ago. A virtual pet that had to be fed and cared for but was far from resembling a cat or dog in form.
Eventually, they fell into disuse and neglect.
Virtual pets will be tremendously similar to real ones. The first dog raised in this environment has been named Laika.
Virtual pets will be non-fungible tokens individually protected by the NFT system and cannot be copied.
They will be priced for sale on the market and will work on different platforms.
Companies in the technology sector are aware of the importance of pets in family life and are working to bring the best virtual pets to the market.
Dogs of the future will be robots
Dogs of the future like the cyber dog made by Xiaomi. Several companies are creating robots that act like dogs. They paw and look at you to generate oxytocin and feel affection, as these are the signals that have been identified by real pet owners as the most important when it comes to feeling loved by their dogs.
Like virtual pets, a robot will not suffer if we abandon it in a drawer. It may also include other tasks, such as video surveillance or cleaning.
Virtual pet problems?
- Software incompatibility: This may not work in all upcoming metaverses. Giving incompatibilities between Facebook, Microsoft, and other platforms.
- Hardware Need: Virtual reality glasses and other specific gadgets will be needed to see pets in three dimensions.
- They cannot replace the real pet: technology can create pets that arouse emotions in us and play with our brain and perception capacity. But it will never be comparable to the bond we establish with our true best friends.
- The difficulty of use in therapy or assistance work: virtual pets will hardly have the cognitive abilities or the great sense of smell that our real dogs have. It will therefore be impossible for them to perform the useful tasks that real dogs achieve.
