Pentagon Wants 'Virtual Parents' for Military Kids

Program would sub artificial intelligence for moms, dads overseas
By Sam Biddle,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 8, 2009 11:25 AM CST
Pentagon Wants 'Virtual Parents' for Military Kids
The Department of Defense wants virtual parents to comfort children in military families.   (Getty Images)

The US Department of Defense hopes to ward off trauma for children with deployed parents by replacing mommy or daddy with a computerized replica, Melissa Lafsky writes for Discover. The proposal, pitched on DoD’s “Small Business Innovation Web” site, describes a “highly interactive PC- or Web-based application to allow family members to verbally interact with ‘virtual’ renditions of deployed Service Members.”

The Pentagon claims the proposed project could “allow a child to receive comfort from being able to have simple, virtual conversations with a parent who is not available “in-person” regarding “generic, everyday topics.” But many are dubious of the proposal, citing a lack of understanding of behavioral psychology and a risk of traumatizing children further, rather than soothing them. (More Department of Defense stories.)

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