Overview
“Robot is a rich word, loaded with historical and fictional and connotations. It has as many definitions as there are people who use it. Humanoid. Rover. Industrial arm. Bot. Prosthetic. Telepresent surgeon. Drone. As the social, design, policy and technical issues around robotics begin to merge, it’s important that we develop a deeper understanding of how the term is used across contexts, even if we can’t agree on a one-size-fits-all definition. Panel members will discuss differing perspectives on what a robot is, and how various definitions effect their work.”
Objective
Delve into the shifting definitions of ‘robot’.
Target Audience
Anyone interested in the development of robots as social phenomena.
Five Things Audience Members Will Learn
- Conflating ‘bots’ and ‘robots’ – why it’s hard to separate robots and AI
- Robot or appliance? How/when/whether companies are leveraging ‘robotics’ as a marketing strategy
- ‘Robot’ as social construct/social actor: public perceptions and attitudes.
- The technical definition of ‘robot’, why this is important, and how it has evolved.
- Legal definitions of ‘robot’, why legal scholars are interested in defining the term, and whether existing definitions are sufficient.