"Virtual Dad" for soldier children

In 155,000 American children, fathers serve in Iraq or Afghanistan, not appearing at home for months and years. In fact, a whole generation of Americans is growing fatherless, while their popes fulfill an important mission to democratize the world. This problem has preoccupied the American government. They believe that part of the work of raising children can take over ... computers.

This is hard to believe, but the US Department of Defense seriously suggests developing a special program that will allow the child to communicate with the avatar of his father. The built-in chat bot and realistic 3D animation of the father’s appearance will provide the child with some semblance of live communication in those moments when a telephone conversation or Internet connection with the living father is not available.

More than 80% of American children between the ages of three and five regularly use a computer, so communication with a computer avatar will be completely natural for them, the authors of the idea consider.
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via New Scientist