Exploring Cultural Robotics: Designing Robots with Cultural Sensitivity in Mind

The Future of Cultural Robotics: Designing Robots that Understand Cultural Backgrounds

Imagine a robot chatting with an elderly British man in his bedroom, asking him about his memories of the second world war. This scenario may seem unusual, but it is part of a groundbreaking project called Caresses (Culture-Aware Robots and Environmental Sensor Systems for Elderly Support).

The goal of the Caresses project is to design robots that can take into account the cultural background of the person they are interacting with and adjust their behavior accordingly. This new field of “cultural robotics” aims to make AI and robotics more culturally inclusive, ensuring that robots can engage with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds in a sensitive and respectful manner.

However, there are concerns about the potential implications of this movement. For example, the use of large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which are primarily trained on English text, may perpetuate cultural assumptions and biases. Similarly, studies that compare cultural preferences to determine how people in different countries may perceive robots could lead to oversimplified and potentially harmful generalizations.

To address these concerns, researchers are advocating for a more nuanced approach to culture in robotics. Culture is a complex and multifaceted concept, with over 300 potential definitions. Different applications within robotics may require radically different approaches to culture, depending on the context and purpose of the robot.

For example, an entertainment robot in a theatre may need to adapt its performance based on local preferences, while a service robot in a care home may need to evolve its behavior over time to meet the changing needs of the residents. By viewing culture as something that emerges dynamically through interaction, designers can create robots that are more responsive and adaptable to individual cultural backgrounds.

Ultimately, the future of cultural robotics lies in designing robots that can understand and respect the diversity of human cultures without relying on stereotypes or generalizations. By taking a nuanced and context-specific approach to culture, we can ensure that robots enhance human interactions rather than perpetuate harmful biases.

Henry Taylor, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Birmingham and Masoumeh Mansouri, Associate Professor, School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham