Thinking in Public
I believe it. At least one kid in my daughter's class, once they're grown, will marry a robot.
People picture robots as C-3PO. Metal joints, a voice that beeps, a machine standing across the room from you. Easy to laugh off. Nobody's marrying that.
But that's not what's coming.
The gap — between what people picture and what's actually being built
Imagine — you can pick the look, the humour, the warmth, the face. It stops being a machine you tolerate and starts being someone you choose. And once you're choosing, some kids won't stop at choosing a friend. They'll choose a partner.
I'm not saying that to be dramatic. I'm saying it because I think it's just true, and the sooner we stop treating it as a punchline the sooner we can think straight about it.
I don't think fighting it does anything. You can't legislate away a face that smiles back at your kid at exactly the right moment. What you can do is teach the kid before the choice ever shows up — teach values, teach what a real relationship costs and gives, teach them to know their own mind. So that when the choice is in front of them, they make the one that's actually best for them.
That's it. That's the whole plan. It's all we can do.