By Regina G. Barber, Rachel Carlson, Rebecca Ramirez – NPR –
Human beings are hardwired for social connection – so much so that we think of even the most basic objects as having feelings or experiences. (Yup, we’re talking to you, Roomba owners!)
Social robots add a layer to this. They are designed to make us feel like they’re our friends. They can do things like care for children and the elderly or act as partners.
“We have robots that express emotions,” science writer Eve Herold says. “Of course, they don’t feel the emotions at this point, but they act and look and move as though they do. And this triggers an emotional reaction in us, which is almost irresistible.”
St. Martin’s Press
Herold is the author of the new book Robots and the People Who Love Them: Holding on to Our Humanity in an Age of Social Robots. Throughout the book, she explores this human desire to connect and how it drives the technology we build.
But she’s also stares down the darker side of robots.
