For the second assignment, I have decided to reflect on the blog of Tom Breedveld. I liked how Tom first layed the foundation of what he interprets as love, given that this is quite an ambiguous term that we can all agree on on a fundamental level, but often differ when it comes to finer details in its explanation. I like how Tom mentioned a very animal-like quality and tried to link that to an artificial creature. It got me wondering whether there could actually be a thing that artificial creatures would communicate their own form of love or try to mimic ours.

Tom mentioned sex as a set within love while also linking that to artificial creatures. I agree that sex in itself is not love, and is not even needed depending on the type of person the love is directed to. I would say that there are types of love out there. For example: One might see sex as an inevitable ingredient to keep a romantic love alive, but this is not needed for a parent or any other family member (thankfully...). Love needs nurturing and cannot be neglected. And thus the love for a parent or a child is still different than the love one would have for a lover. These different dynamics require different maintenance methods. And thus this got me thinking how artificial creatures would express and maintain love.

For my BSc graduation project, I got the privilege to work for an international Dutch company called Lely. Lely is best known for its cow milking robots. They make a variety of different types of robots. Some collect manure, others milk cows, others feed cows, and others are just out there to clean the stall. I have observed that often, these cows seek attention from a passing robot. Especially the ones that are tasked to feed the cows. But the robots just pass by doing their job while neglecting the cows.

Research has shown that happy cows happen to produce more milk. So this got me thinking, what if one of these robots gets to show affection to these cows? A robot with an arm that manages to caress a cow while it eats? Why should we limit a robot to just a thing that does tasks for us? Why cannot it be more than that?

The idea is that a robot actually manages to interact with the cows in an affectionate way. Just as they are used to receiving the affection from their owner. The robot can caress areas of the cow gently and make friendly noises while also giving off its warmth as it is actively feeding the cow.