At least, that’s one of the implications of research like this:
“I think the really interesting question here is the morality of our relationships with avatars and artificial lifeforms. If we seem to forge emotional bonds with artificial life—even against our will, even when we know the bots aren’t real—what does it mean when we torture and abuse them?” — collision detection: Scientists remount Milgram “shock” experiment using 3D avatars
True story: My 3-year-old son was watching me play FINAL FANTASY XII the other night. I got to a part where you fight these blue turkey things. Of course, I had to kill ‘em (oh, sorry… the game calls it “KO”). He gets this look of horror on his face and goes “No! Daddy killed the cute blue turkeys! Mommy!!”
Two days later he picks up one of our cats and stuffs her in the kitchen trash can.
No, I don’t think the incidents are related, but it was mildly amusing. (6)