Social Robots and Dark Patterns: Where Does Persuasion End and Deception Begin?

Abstract

Socially interactive robots are steadily entering the realm of human experience. Social robots are being deployed for applications in entertainment and companionship, health and well-being. We argue that the design of social robots is not neutral as they are exemplars of persuasive technologies. By virtue of its physical embodiment and its anthropomorphic design which take into account an intimate understanding of human and social psychology, communication and behavior, they persuade human beings into the illusion of a mutually empathic and socially reciprocative interaction. In recent years, a design trend has emerged in digital media and web technologies: Dark Patterns. They use deceptive techniques to persuade people to commit actions that are not in their best interest and undermine their autonomy to further the interest of designers, companies or their shareholders. We highlight that social robots may harbor these dark patterns and they can be potent social actors that can push our darwinian buttons to undermine our time, monetary situation and privacy, effectively harming our health and well-being.