First Impressions of a Humanoid Social Robot with Natural Language Capabilities
Project Period: 2023-2025
Abstract
Concurrent developments in robotic design and natural language processing (NLP) have enabled the production of humanoid chatbots that can operate in commercial and community settings. Though still novel, the presence of physically embodied social robots is growing and will soon be commonplace. Our study is set at this point of emergence, investigating people’s first impressions of a humanoid chatbot in a public venue. Specifically, we introduced “Pepper” to attendees at an innovation festival. Pepper is a humanoid robot outfitted with ChatGPT. Attendees engaged with Pepper in a bounded interaction and provided feedback about their experience (n = 88). Qualitative analyses reveal participants’ mixed emotional resonance, reactions to Pepper’s embodied form and movements, expectations about interpersonal connection and rituals of interaction, and attentiveness to issues of diversity and social inclusion. Findings document live responses to a humanoid chatbot, highlight the affective, social, and material forces that shape human-robot interaction, and underscore the value of “in the wild” studies, creating space and scope for user-publics to express their perspectives and concerns. Such insights are acutely relevant as we enter this next era of social robotics.
Study Period: 2023-2025
Study Location: ACT UnCharted Festival
Team Members: Janie Busby Grant; Damith Herath; Adrian Rodriguez; Jenny L. Davis
Publication
(under review)
Janie Busby Grant
Psychology Research Lead
Associate Professor Janie Busby Grant is the Psychology Research Lead at CRL, where her work integrates human-robot interaction and artificial intelligence with a foundation in cognitive psychology and research design. With a strong emphasis on practical applications, Janie brings a reconciliatory approach to interdisciplinary research, particularly in exploring factors influencing human perception of, and engagement with robotic systems.
Damith Herath
Founder/Lead Collaborative Robotics Lab
Professor Damith Herath is the Founder and leader of the Collaborative Robotics Lab (CRL). His work focuses on exploring how robots and humans can collaborate, with an emphasis on the intersection of engineering, psychology, and the arts. His interdisciplinary approach actively seeks insights across diverse fields, promoting innovation and collaboration that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.