Virtual Surrogates and the Future of Work
Google recently filed a new patent for a robot able to impersonate users in virtual interactions. This bot will analyse an user’s emails, texts, posts on social media, and probably all the ‘breadcrumbs’ the user leaves behind while scrolling through the Web. It will then write on the user’s behalf, mimicking his or her style and knowledge. “For example, it may be very important to say “congratulations” to a friend when that friend announces that she/he has gotten a new job”, explains Google. A less automatised feature will just suggest possible answers to the user, leaving him or her the choice of posting this robotic reply.