Robot pets and such

The Christian Science Monitor has a great article called "If you kick a robotic dog, is it wrong?" It's about how people interact with their electronic pets, and how the relationships get more complicated as the pets become more and more advanced. And linked from that story, I found another good one about robots that act like people. A quote:

Professor Pausch says we should think of virtual humans as akin to Jethro Bodine on the old "Beverly Hillbillies" TV show. With Jethro, "you realize you're not dealing with something that is very smart," in common-sense ways, he says. Though Jethro is kindhearted, "and he will help me in any way he can," he must be asked for his help in careful, simple ways that he can understand.