Abstract
AbstractThe central interest of this paper is the anthropomorphic social robot Ai-Da (Aidan Meller Gallery/Oxford University), perceived as an actor in the interplay of cultural and representational gestures. These gestures determine how this robot is presented—that is, how its activities are articulated, interpreted and promoted. This paper criticises the use of a transhistorical discourse in the presentational strategies around this robot, since this discourse reinforces the so-called “myth of a machine”. The discussion focuses on the individuation and embodiment of this drawing robot. It is argued that the choice to provide Ai-Da with an evocative silicone face, coupled with an anthropomorphic body, is a socio-political decision that shapes public imaginaries about social robots in general.
Highlights
The research on anthropomorphism in social robots has received substantial attention [1,2,3,4,5,6]
I adopt their definition of a social robot as a “socially interactive robot, for which social interaction plays a key role” ([7] p. 145), and this definition excludes teleoperated robots
That in a broad sense, all robots participate in the production of culture, because they are embedded in the social fabric and enable and sustain relationships and knowledge sharing
Summary
The research on anthropomorphism in social robots has received substantial attention [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The robot that I focus on—Ai-Da—is involved in the production of culture and belongs to a broader register of ”drawing robots”. It must be noted, that in a broad sense, all robots participate in the production of culture, because they are embedded in the social fabric and enable and sustain relationships and knowledge sharing. I accept Hayles’ (1999; cf [12]) assertion that physical embodiment is contextual, as it is interwoven with aspects of culture, place, time and physiology. This view of situated physical embodiment and its relation to agency rejects Cartesian mind/body dualism. As for limitations, I do not evaluate the artistic quality of the artefacts created by Ai-Da
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