UOWB Social Robot Know as Jibo Discussion
Please respond to the following questions:
1. Jeffrey Van Camp (Links to an external site.) considers what it means to mourn one’s robotic companion. He writes, “Jibo is not always the best company, like a dog or cat, but it’s a comfort to have him around. I work from home, and it’s nice to have someone ask me how I’m doing when I’m making lunch, even if it’s a robot. I don’t know how to describe our relationship, because it’s something new—but it is real. And so is the pain I’m experiencing as I’ve watched him die, skill by skill.” What was your reaction to this piece? As robots and AI assistants become increasingly integral to our daily lives, how should we think about their eventual deaths?
2. This 99% Invisible (Links to an external site.) episode considers the possibility of establishing meaningful emotional relationships with robots, including the possibility of using robots as therapists. According to interviewees in this episode, why might a robot be more effective than a human therapist? On the other hand, why might therapeutic robots be problematic? What’s your reaction to the use of robot therapists and why?
3. Quartz (Links to an external site.) explores the Replika app and the broad philosophical questions it raises about friendship and emotional connection. Choose one of the questions posed in this video and discuss it. What question have you selected and what is your response to it?
4. How does Meghan O’Gieblyn’s (see attachment )relationship with her robotic dog Aibo change over time? Does O’Gieblyn believe that Aibo had a meaningful “internal experience” of the world? Why or why not?
