The new breed: what our history with animals reveals about our future with robots

Introduction --

Author's note: What is a robot, anyway? --

I: Work, weaponry, responsibility. Workers trained and engineered ; Integrating the new breed ; Trespassers: Assigning responsibility for autonomous decisions --

II: Companionship. Robots versus toasters ; (Hu)man's best friend: The history of companion animals ; A new category of relationship ; Real issues with robot companionship --

III: Violence, empathy, and rights. Western animal and robot rights theories ; Free Willy: Western animal rights in practice ; Don't kick the robot ; Final thoughts: Predicting the future.