This Robotic Babysitter Will Be ‘Your Child’s Best Friend’ Its Creators Say

Every day, it seems like we’re quickly moving toward a renaissance of automation and artificial intelligence. But would you trust your child with a robotic babysitter?

That’s the premise of the iPal, a rolling, talking robot that is currently being used to watch children in China. The iPal is the offspring of AvatarMind, a relatively young company with corporate offices in both Silicon Valley and China. The company alleges that that its robot, which combines a “cute cartoon outlook, fine craft work, natural understanding technology and cloud apps,” will “be your child’s best friend.”

The iPal, which has 25 motors and is 3-feet tall, will achieve this by using autonomous learning to remember your child’s preferences and interests. Over time, it’ll reportedly build on its knowledge base to improve its conversation skills. The robot will also use cloud-based technology to learn about subjects of interest to your child, and is outfitted with sensors that simulate touch, recognize speech, and read emotions, according to Mashable.

The iPal will also be outfitted with a series of apps and features, including apps that ensure you child wakes up on time and washes his or her hands. It’ll also come equipped with a video chat application that children could use to make new friends who also have an iPal. Additionally, the robot takes photos and videos of child, which could parents monitor growth. It’s not designed to be a replacement for a babysitter, but it is meant to keep your kid busy “for a few hours,” according to The Daily Mail.

But while the iPal can read stories to your kids, answer questions, and even teach them some programming skills, the robot babysitters also raises some unnerving ethical questions about robotic child-rearing. Critics of the technology, including University of Sheffield Professor Noel Sharkey, are worried that use of robotic nannies could have negative impacts on a child’s psychological development. Sharkey has been raising concerns about this topic since 2008.

“There are significant dangers in having robots mind our children. They do not have the sensitivity or understanding needed for childcare,” Sharkey told The Guardian earlier this year. When asked about his view on the iPal, he simply said: “This is awful.”

While Sharkey argues that over-reliance on robots to look after kids would lead to a number of severe attachment disorders, the bottom line is that there is just not enough research to conclude whether or not using robotic surrogates will have profound negative impacts. But there is some early evidence — mostly studies done on social isolation and maternal deprivation — that seems to support Sharkey’s premise of potential psychological dysfunctions.

Despite the controversy surrounding the iPal, AvatarMind hopes to bring its robot to the US by next year.