I am currently writing my philosophy PhD at Aarhus University on the nature of sympathy and empathy, their connection to moral status, and sympathetic and empathetic robot design. Before beginning this project, I completed my MA in philosophy at Aarhus University, focused on drawing together various empathy accounts to better define the concept.
Sympathetic Robots
This paper discusses some of the general challenges for the design of sympathetic robots, including a lack of conceptual clarity and the difficulty of quantifying an instance of sympathy. Candace Clark’s sociological account of sympathy is offered as a solid theoretical basis for advancing the design and acceptance of sympathetic robots. The aspects of her theory relevant to HRI and some potential challenges in its implementation are discussed, as well as the alarming potential for sympathetic robots to act ideologically imperialistic, or to ‘nudge’ users across cultural boundaries. |
