The TWIML AI Podcast (formerly This Week in Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence) Human-Robot Interaction and Empathy with Kate Darling - TWIML Talk #289
Aug 8, 2019
Dr. Kate Darling, a Research Specialist at the MIT Media Lab, dives into the ethics of robot interaction and empathy. She explores how humans relate to lifelike robots and the impact of empathy on behavior, especially in children. The conversation covers innovative uses of robots in therapy, particularly for dementia patients. Darling discusses the trust dynamics between humans and robots, raising questions about automation bias and the societal implications of how we perceive and treat machines.
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Pleo and Empathy
- Kate Darling's interest in robot ethics started with a Pleo, a baby dinosaur robot.
- Witnessing people's discomfort with its simulated pain sparked her curiosity.
Robot Torture Experiment
- In a workshop, adults were reluctant to harm Pleo robots, even when instructed to.
- A later study showed people hesitated to hit named hexbugs, correlating with empathy levels.
Mall Robot Abuse
- Children's abuse of mall security robots prompted a design change, making them avoid short people.
- This raises concerns about children's behavior towards robots and potential real-world implications.