Special Session

Emergence of “Cohabitant” Robots and Their ELSI Implications

In this session, we will examine ELSI based on interdisciplinary research methods for robots that we call “cohabitant robots,” which interact with people while building an emotional relationship with them, and which promote changes in human cognition and behavior.

While it has been pointed out that “cohabitant robots” have the potential to improve people’s wellbeing through improving mental health, maintaining cognitive abilities, and providing learning opportunities that are optimized for the individual, there are also concerns about the misuse of intimate personal data and the risk of inappropriate manipulation using emotional connections.

To control the risks of “cohabitant robots,” we will discuss these risks based on research using methods such as cognitive neuroscience, social psychology, and cultural anthropology. We will then explore the legal and technical measures that should be taken to reduce these risks from the perspectives of law and robotics under the framework of “Agile Governance.”

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

  1. The concept of “cohabitant robots” and the ELSI issues surrounding them.
  2. Research from the perspectives of cognitive neuroscience and social psychology on the impact of “cohabitant robots” on people.
  3. An anthropological exploration of the influence of “cohabitant robots” on human behaviors and interactions.
  4. Ethics of cohabitant robots: A study on the relationship between the framework for risk management of “cohabitant robots” (“Agile Governance”) and the ethics of robot engineers.

Organizers

  • Tatsuhiko Inatani (Kyoto University)
  • Minoru Asada (The University of Osaka)
  • Hiroko Kamide (Kyoto University)
  • Hirofumi Katsuno (Doshisha University)