In a new study, scientists imply that the world problem of overpopulation might be resolved with the help of 'virtual children.' The idea was suggested by experts from one of Britain's largest artificial intelligence developers. They predicted that through this approach, the crisis would ease within a span of just 50 years.
Virtual Babies Solution to Overpopulation?
People could obtain the AI-powered babies through a $25 subscription. According to technology specialist Catriona Campbell, computer-generated children might become normal members of families by the early 2070s.
Campbell, a former government adviser in the United Kingdom, explained that the full experience of being with these AI children would be realistic with specialized gloves that are touch-sensitive and augmented reality (AR) technology.
Campbell predicts that after the computer-generated offspring technology is perfected, about one in five parents might get digital babies instead of a real, biological one.
The approach is considered a 'Tamagotchi Generation,' in which people would have artificial kids that would not deplete the remaining resources of the planet while existing in the metaverse only.
Virtual parenting works through taking care of a child through buttons and AR devices that provide lifelike features. It will heavily rely on catering to the sense of touch and virtual and holographic projections. Moreover, there would be no cost for space, food, and health maintenance of these made-up children as long as real-world parents take good care of them.
Today, more than 300,000 infants are born every single day. The total number of newborns surpasses even the mortality rate of the planet. Many studies show that the trend would lead to an explosion of the global population by 2100, reaching a whopping 11 billion. Alongside the increase in birth rate, many diseases, crime-related activities, and food shortages would occur.
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Digital Children in the Metaverse and Future of Parenting
According to a 2020 study by YouGov, about ten percent of childless couples are hesitant to give birth to an offspring due to overpopulation concerns, and a separate ten percent do not want to build a family due to the costs of raising a child.
Campbell explained that it seems impossible for virtual children to exist, but 50 years of technology would suffice to perfect the metaverse babies with indistinct attributes from real-world kids.
Campbell continued that virtual children would eventually be accepted and 'fully embraced' by our functioning society as the metaverse continues to evolve.
Computerized babies would be constructed through CGI technology and embedded with advanced machine learning systems to have an autonomous response with their parents. Customers would also get the most out of the digital features of the kids, including photo-realistic faces and bodies. Modern sensors will also be equipped on virtual devices for the program to analyze, recognize, and track the voice and faces of the human parents.
Through the metaverse, people could communicate and bond with the AI-powered babies in any digital environment they prefer, from a living room to swimming pools, StudyFinds reports.
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