Uncanny Valley Research Articles

Do We Trust in AI? Role of Anthropomorphism and Intelligence

ABSTRACT AI applications are radically transforming the manner in which service providers and consumers interact. We explore how the humanness of AI applications affects consumers’ trust in these applications. Qualitative evidence collected with focus groups provides fresh insights into the roles of anthropomorphism and intelligence, as key constructs representing humanness. Our findings reveal the consumers’ perspective on the nuances of these constructs pertaining to services enabled by AI applications. It also extends current understanding of the phenomenon of the “uncanny valley,” by identifying conditions under which consumers experience discomfort and uneasiness as AI humanness increases in service environments.

The Cybernetic Victorians

The Cybernetic Victorians

Character Design and Interaction - Effects on Social Presence in Virtual Reality

The use of innovative and engaging learning methods in various training contexts (e.g., leadership development) is steadily increasing. Video games have been shown to have positive effects on motivation and learning outcomes through the immersive experience they create, which can be further amplified by Virtual Reality (VR). Crucial to the perception of presence in VR is the acceptance of implemented virtual characters, which can be negatively impacted by the Uncanny Valley (UV) effect. We implemented a typical leadership scenario in VR and in an experimental study with a 2x2 between-subjects design, we examined effects of character design (cartoon vs. semi-realistic) and character interactions (handshake vs. no handshake) on social presence. Results (N = 51) show that interaction effects between character design and character interactions influence the UV (F(1,44) = 7.18, p = 0.01), which in turn impacts perceptions of social presence (F(1,44) = 12.25, p = 0.001). Social presence was especially pronounced when participants encountered the cartoonish character (M = 2.33, SD = .48) compared to the semi-realistic character (M = 1.87, SD = .48). Our findings advance the optimization of character design and interaction in VR implementations, not only for leadership development but training contexts in general.

Macaque Gaze Responses to the Primatar: A Virtual Macaque Head for Social Cognition Research.

Following the expanding use and applications of virtual reality in everyday life, realistic virtual stimuli are of increasing interest in cognitive studies. They allow for control of features such as gaze, expression, appearance, and movement, which may help to overcome limitations of using photographs or video recordings to study social responses. In using virtual stimuli however, one must be careful to avoid the uncanny valley effect, where realistic stimuli can be perceived as eerie, and induce an aversion response. At the same time, it is important to establish whether responses to virtual stimuli mirror responses to depictions of a real conspecific. In the current study, we describe the development of a new virtual monkey head with realistic facial features for experiments with nonhuman primates, the “Primatar.” As a first step toward validation, we assessed how monkeys respond to facial images of a prototype of this Primatar compared to images of real monkeys (RMs), and an unrealistic model. We also compared gaze responses between original images and scrambled as well as obfuscated versions of these images. We measured looking time to images in six freely moving long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) and gaze exploration behavior in three rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Both groups showed more signs of overt attention to original images than scrambled or obfuscated images. In addition, we found no evidence for an uncanny valley effect; since for both groups, looking times did not differ between real, realistic, or unrealistic images. These results provide important data for further development of our Primatar for use in social cognition studies and more generally for cognitive research with virtual stimuli in nonhuman primates. Future research on the absence of an uncanny valley effect in macaques is needed, to elucidate the roots of this mechanism in humans.

Countering the "Digital Uncanny"


 Photogrammetry and laser scanning, or combinations of the two, are increasingly used in cultural heritage settings to create three-dimensional digital replicas. Yet the technical production processes involved can sometimes result in undesirable outcomes – flattening shadows, light, and surface textural variations of original artifacts. Many of these important visual cues contribute to our understanding of digital models as ‘historical objects,’ and the resulting overly digitized photogrammetry – lacking visual context and depth – can impede user interactivity. Viewers of digital heritage can become deterred by the uncanny, static, or unreal aesthetic of some photogrammetric and laser scans. This article considers two digital heritage projects: “Emotions3D: Bringing Digital Heritage to Life,”and the Smithsonian Apollo 11 Command Module scans in order to explore how technical and curatorial decisions can address issues in photogrammetric and laser post-processing. While often subtle, different post-processing choices are perceived and deeply cognitively and emotionally internalized by viewers and users of digital cultural heritage. Therefore, this paper assesses the relevance of emotions studies, theories of the ‘uncanny’ and the ‘uncanny valley,’ and issues of authenticity and best-practice digital interventions to enhance user engagement and accessibility through digital post-processing techniques.

Age-Related Differences in the Uncanny Valley Effect

Background: Due to declining birthrates and an increasing aging population, shortage of the caregiving labor force has become a global issue. Among various efforts toward the solution, introducing robotic products for assistance could provide an effective way to help older adults in their daily lives. As previous studies have indicated that older adults’ acceptance of robots is lower than that of younger adults, enhancing older adults’ acceptance of robots is imperative. Because older adults’ first impressions based on a robot’s appearance might affect their acceptance of the robot, we investigated the uncanny valley effect (UVE) here. The UVE refers to the phenomenon that people rate robots more positively as robots become more humanlike, but only up to a certain point; as robots approach a near-perfect similarity to human appearance, likeability drops and forms the uncanny valley. Nevertheless, evidence for the UVE came mainly from younger adults. Objective: The present study aimed to examine whether the UVE varies across different age groups and whether a robot’s appearance would affect participants’ acceptance of the robot’s service or companionship. Methods: An online questionnaire study was conducted with 255 participants, including younger (n = 77, age 18–39 years), middle-aged (n = 87, age 40–59 years), and older (n = 91, age 60–87 years) adults. Participants were asked to view each picture in a set selected from a total of 83 robot pictures and evaluate their impressions of each robot and the intention of use regarding robot function as a service provider or a companion. Results: The UVE was found in younger and middle-aged adults; however, older adults did not show the UVE. Older adults preferred humanlike over non-humanlike robots, regardless of robot function. Conclusion: The design of assistive robots should take the UVE into consideration by customizing robot appearance based on the age group of the intended user.

A Naturalistic Dynamic Monkey Head Avatar Elicits Species-Typical Reactions and Overcomes the Uncanny Valley.

Research on social perception in monkeys may benefit from standardized, controllable, and ethologically valid renditions of conspecifics offered by monkey avatars. However, previous work has cautioned that monkeys, like humans, show an adverse reaction toward realistic synthetic stimuli, known as the “uncanny valley” effect. We developed an improved naturalistic rhesus monkey face avatar capable of producing facial expressions (fear grin, lip smack and threat), animated by motion capture data of real monkeys. For validation, we additionally created decreasingly naturalistic avatar variants. Eight rhesus macaques were tested on the various videos and avoided looking at less naturalistic avatar variants, but not at the most naturalistic or the most unnaturalistic avatar, indicating an uncanny valley effect for the less naturalistic avatar versions. The avoidance was deepened by motion and accompanied by physiological arousal. Only the most naturalistic avatar evoked facial expressions comparable to those toward the real monkey videos. Hence, our findings demonstrate that the uncanny valley reaction in monkeys can be overcome by a highly naturalistic avatar.

The uncanny mask and the fiction writer

ABSTRACT This paper explores the connection between the mask and fiction writing. Freud has theorised the identifications of writers and readers with the masks of literary personae, but my interest in this essay is with how the mask of a narrator or character can function uncannily to impede identification. I am also interested in research emerging from neuroscience, socobiology and robotics, the last of which has drawn attention to the ‘uncanny valley’, an affect generated by cybernetic beings that deny – by virtue of their mask-like faces – the neuronal mirror activity fundamental to human identity. Both Freudian and emerging scientific research provide the context for the question I ask here: how might we understand the affect generated by a fiction writer who uses the uncanny mask of a narrator or character to refuse opportunities for identification and to elicit, instead, an uncanny crisis in subjectivity within the reader? To answer this question, I employ a hybrid autoethnographic methodology that recognises the primacy of feeling when it comes to the experience of the uncanny and that acknowledges my own compromised position as a writer invested in such unfriendly or sadistic affects.

ПРОБЛЕМАТИКА ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ ТРИВИМІРНОЇ АНІМАЦІЇ ТА СПЕЦИФІКА ЇЇ СПРИЙНЯТТЯ В ДОДАНІЙ РЕАЛЬНОСТІ: КОМУНІКАЦІЙНИЙ АСПЕКТ

<p><em>This study elucidates the main communication issues that arise from audiences’ interaction with three-dimensional animation of different types in augmented reality, as well as identifies the major 3D animations’ varieties used by brands to create AR and MR promotional campaigns. </em></p><p><em>The results of the study are based, in particular, on the analysis of AR cases of 27 commercial and social brands that used 3D animation for promotional purposes in 2010–2019.</em></p><p><em>It is ascertained that in the promotional practice there is used 3D predefined animation of a cartoon type, as well as 3D predefined and procedural non-homomorphic photorealistic animation. At the same time, three-dimensional procedural animation of cartoon type, as well as photorealistic animation of people (either predefined or procedural), was not used by any of the studied brands for the purpose of promotion.</em></p><p><em>The research revealed that in the field of promotion three-dimensional photorealistic animation of people, primarily of procedural type, is not used because it creates the majority of communication problems in the interaction of the audience with it. Real people’s displeasure with the animated ones arises, first of all, because of the “uncanny valley effect”, which is caused, in particular, by the technical difficulties with 3D rendering of human emotions and body language in real-time (including proxemics in a virtual environment); visual tracking of human movements by animated character; the naturalness and synchronicity of the language (above all, the content of the cues) and the sound of the voice of three-dimensional persons (its timbre, rhythmics, emotionality).</em></p><p><em>In general, today from a technical point of view photorealistic non-homomorphic animation is the most advanced 3D animation type, which explains the popularity of its use in the practice of promotional communications. Its predefined variety is most commonly used by automotive brands to create AR-campaigns, whereas procedural one is used in creating MR-campaigns, mainly for cosmetic and interior brands.</em></p><p><em>The predefined 3D animation of cartoon type was used to promote those commercial brands, which final consumers were, above all, children. However, some companies have used this kind of animation to create AR-based adult promotional events held in conjunction with the holiday and symbolic dates. The popularity of the use of 3D animation of cartoon type in the field of promotion is explained, first of all, by the fact that people at a subconscious level have a positive attitude towards cartoon characters as such.</em></p><strong><em>Key words:</em></strong><em> augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), 3D animation, promotional communications.</em>

Autistic traits, personality, and evaluations of humanoid robots by young and older adults

While research with individuals on the autistic spectrum has increased strongly, there is still a lack of research on autism/autistic traits in older adults. Children with autism have been proposed to benefit from interactions with social robots; for older adults, the potential role of robotics is currently being discussed. We combined these topics by assessing both young and older (Mean age = 22 vs. 69 years) neurotypical adults’ evaluations of various humanoid robots presented in video clips, on multiple dimensions (likeability, companionship, dominance, threat, human-likeness). We additionally assessed autistic traits (Autism Spectrum Questionnaire – AQ) and Big-Five personality traits. Remarkably, older adults evaluated robots as more likeable. Compared to young adults, older adults also showed significantly higher levels of autistic traits (particularly in the AQ social interaction subscale), higher levels of conscientiousness, and lower levels of openness. We found strong positive correlations between ratings of likeability and human-likeness of robots across groups, and particularly in participants with high levels of autistic trait. Across robots, data also provided evidence for the uncanny valley phenomenon. Favourable evaluations of robots by older adults suggest potential for older adults on the autistic spectrum to benefit from social robots.

Who Owns Your Face after You Die? Computer Generated Images in Audiovisual Media and Their Possible Impact on Publicity and Privacy Rights under Californian Law

What are you worth? This could be considered a philosophical question at the best of times in the context of this work it means different things. In this ever-changing digital age where reality is fused with computer creations that everyday erases with more skill the uncanny valley. Globalization has expanded the way people communicate and the way information is shared, At the same time it has created this fictional digital environment where what we see is rarely the reality behind it. Where we are, what we do and how we do it is usually a finger type away. For celebrities it is a powerful tool towards achieving success, because it allows them real time contact with fans and allows them to express their personal thoughts and personality to a larger platform. But what happens when you die? Any “regular” person and depending on his or her belief system, worries about those left behind or the afterlife. But when you are famous, infamous, well-known, or a “star,” you also may take a moment and think about his or her image after death. Presidents build libraries, entrepreneurs create charities, and as Jim Carrey once stated: “I would love to be a great actor whose name would live for centuries.” All this in the effort to leave a long-lasting impression, to create a legacy. In the age of holograms, computer-generated technology, photoshop, and “deep fake” videos, this is no longer a guarantee. Reality has shifted, and not everything we see with our eyes is, in fact, real. In the United States, the Constitution provides for the rights of liberty, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. But should your image, voice, and personal characteristics also be protected? The act of wanting to protect one’s image after death should not merely be a tool towards financial gain after death, but as they wish to remain as one lived. Humanity perceives itself based on morals. If you actively do something that you are aware of is immoral, then legality exists as a technical defense to avoid a lawsuit. But society must also be aware that the fact something is legal does not make it moral and therefore does not need to be automatically accepted. Laws are created on the principles of morals and exist for the betterment of society. There is a constant debate on what can or should be changed. If you cannot morally justify your action the simple fact that is legal cannot always serve as a defense. Attorneys and politicians in their majority shun this belief as the reality of their way of life would be jeopardized. This paper is not an outcry for lawless or that there is no room for laws. Of course, there is but society is steering towards negating morals for profit and power over the human dignity. The rule of law is a tool towards regulating life not the excuse to forget humanity.

Factors that influence robot acceptance

With the development of technology, robots as the main carrier of artificial intelligence will appear more and more in human life and work. However, for ordinary people, robots are still relatively new things. Under such a background, whether people accept robots, under what conditions robots are more acceptable to people, and what kind of robots are more acceptable to people are all important issues that need to be explored. Therefore, this paper focuses on the factors that affect people’s acceptance of robots. Specifically, we systematically review the influencing factors of robot acceptance from three aspects: Robot factors, human factors and human-robot interaction factors. Firstly, there is no doubt that people’s acceptance of robots is affected by the factors pertaining to robot itself. Compared with human factors, robot factors are more controllable and practical for robot designers, producers and sellers, and thus are currently the most concerned issue for the public and researchers. Secondly, characteristics of robots such as their visual features, tactile features, auditory features and behavioral features can significantly affect people’s acceptance of robots. Among these characteristics of robots, the anthropomorphism of robot appearance is a hot research issue. A series of studies indicates that the appropriate degree of anthropomorphism can increase people’s acceptance of robot, but inappropriate degree of anthropomorphism can trigger uncanny valley effect, which in turn significantly decrease robot acceptance. Capabilities of robots, such as their instrumental and social abilities have also been proved to play an important in affecting people’s acceptance of robots. The instrumental capabilities of robots are undoubtedly the basic abilities, which include not only utilitarian factors (e.g., perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use), but also hedonic factors (e.g., perceived enjoyment). The social capabilities of robots are mainly reflected on their abilities to socialize with people, which include communicating with human and expressing their social cues such as emotions and vulnerability. Secondly, human factors (e.g., demographic variables and psychological variables) influencing people’s acceptance of robots should not be neglected. Many studies demonstrate that an individual’s demographic characteristics such as age, gender, education and cultural background play an important role in robot acceptance. In general, young people, males, and those with higher education are more likely to accept robots. Individual’s psychological characteristics such as personality, personal innovativeness and self-efficacy have also been shown to have an impact on people’s acceptance of robots. Thirdly, in addition to robot factors and human factors, human-robot interaction factors affecting robot acceptance have also been paid more and more attention by researchers. Lots of studies indicate that robot-related experience can significantly influence people’s acceptance of robots. Previous experience with robots has a positive effect on users’ attitudes towards robots, trust in robots and their own self-esteem. Meanwhile, people’s perception of robots (e.g., perception of robots’ warmth, competence and social presence) is also important. Researchers have suggested that people’s perception of robots’ warmth and competence is not only relevant to their attitudes towards robots, but also can predict their specific emotional response and behavioral tendency. In sum, we systematically review possible influencing factors of robot acceptance, which include robot factors, human factors and human-robot interaction factors. Based on the theory of mind perception, we suggest that people’s acceptance of robots are both positive and negative. On the one hand, people over-trust robots because of the strong capabilities of robots. On the other hand, people also attack robots because of ignoring robots’ experience. Having considered all possible factors, we believe that anthropomorphism may be the core variable that affects people’s acceptance of robots, and the ultimate problem of robot acceptance is necessarily moral issues concerning robots.

2020 in science and culture: Nature’s pick of the listings

The new uncanny valley, 50 years of Earth Day and the troubled future of elephants. Nicola Jones reports on what’s coming in 2020. The new uncanny valley, 50 years of Earth Day and the troubled future of elephants. Nicola Jones reports on what’s coming in 2020.

Uncanny Valley in Video Games: An Overview

The uncanny valley is an idea proposed by Masahiro Mori (1970) regarding negative emotions present in contacts with almost humanlike characters. In the beginning, it was considered only in the context of humanoid robots, but this context was broadened by the development of highly realistic animations and video games. Particularly evident are players’ interests in the uncanny valley. Recently there have been a growing number of reports from empirical studies regarding participants’ perception of highly realistic characters. In the paper, a review of publications concerning the uncanny valley hypothesis in video games is presented, as are deliberations about the impact of the uncanny valley on the game industry. According to the results, there is a need to recognise which attributes of virtual characters cause the uncanny valley effect.

Ocena zależności między wizerunkiem robota a zaufaniem do robota w świetle koncepcji doliny niesamowitości, na przykładzie zawodów o wysokim prestiżu społecznym

Cel/Teza: Głównym celem artykułu jest weryfikacja tezy o istnieniu zjawiska doliny niesamowitości w ocenie zaufania do robotów, na przykładzie robotów reprezentujących wybrane zawody o wysokim poważaniu społecznym. Sprawdzono także zależność poczucia bezpieczeństwa człowieka od rodzaju usług wykonywanych przez roboty.Koncepcja/Metody badań: Badanie przeprowadzono metodą sondażu (survey’u) na grupie celowej studentów kilku kierunków z zakresu nauk społecznych i humanistycznych, w którym wykorzysta­no kwestionariusz ankiety zawierający wizerunki robotów antropomorficznych o różnym stopniu podobieństwa do człowieka. Ocenie zaufania podlegały roboty wykonujące sześć zawodów: sprze­dawca, robotnik wykwalifikowany, lekarz, pielęgniarka, profesor uczelni, księgowa. Wnioskowanie przeprowadzono na podstawie rozkładów ocen oraz testu niezależności chi-kwadrat.Wyniki i wnioski: Badanie potwierdziło istnienie zjawiska doliny niesamowitości oraz zależności między poziomem zaufania i bezpieczeństwa a rodzajem pracy wykonywanej przez robota.Oryginalność/Wartość poznawcza: Według wiedzy autora, dotychczas nie badano w Polsce zjawi­ska doliny niesamowitości z uwzględnieniem ról zawodowych robotów jako zmiennej niezależnej

Different level of virtualization of sight and touch produces the uncanny valley of avatar\u2019s hand embodiment

Humans increasingly often act through virtual and robotic avatars, which can feed back to their user only virtual sensory information. Since avatar is user’s embodiment and body image is mostly based on senses, how virtualization of sensory inputs affects avatar self-attribution is a key question for understanding nowadays human behavior. By manipulating visual and tactile inputs in a series of experiments fashioned after the rubber hand illusion, we assessed the relative weight of the virtualization of sight (Real, Robotic, Virtual) and of touch (Real, Virtual) on artificial hand embodiment. Virtualization decreased embodiment, but unexpectedly lowest embodiment was found when only one sense was virtual. Discordant levels of virtualization of sight and touch elicited revulsion, extending the concept of the uncanny valley to avatar embodiment. Besides timing, spatial constraints and realism of feedback, a matched degree of virtualization of seen and felt stimuli is a further constraint in building the representation of the body.

Robot Helps When Robot Fits: Examining the Role of Baby Robots in Fertility Promotion.

Considering China is facing a precipitous decline in its population, there is an emerging trend of developing baby robots to encourage people’s willingness to become “parents”. Based on the decomposed theory of planned behavior and the theory of uncanny valley, this study empirically investigated whether a baby robot could perform as a prominent antecedent of fertility intention in China, and how this relates to its visual appearance. Consistent with prior research, the current study used a between-subjects design to show (1) a baby robot could significantly improve people’s fertility attitude through temporal visual stimulation; (2) fertility attitude, subjective norms from peers, and perceived behavioral control of finance could significantly contribute to fertility intention. Theoretical contributions and implications are discussed in this study.

THE UNCANNY VALLEY REVISITED: AGE-RELATED DIFFERENCE AND THE EFFECT OF FUNCTION TYPE

Due to declined birthrate and the increased aging population, solving the problem of labor shortage has become important. Introducing robotic labors could effectively help older adults’ daily lives. However, older adults’ acceptance of robots was lower than younger adults. Robot’s appearance might be one of the reasons. The Uncanny Valley (UV) refers to the phenomenon that people rate more positively as robots become more humanlike, but only up to a certain point; as it approaches near-perfect similarity of human appearance, likeability drops and forms an uncanny valley. Nonetheless, previous results supporting the UV were mainly from younger adults. We examined whether the UV is also applicable for older and middle-aged adults. We also examined whether the acceptance of function (companion vs. service) would change based on robot appearance, and whether robot-induced traits have any relation with the acceptance of robot function. We asked younger (N= 80, age 18-39), middle-aged (N= 87, age 40-59), and older (N= 88, age 60-87) adults to view each picture of 84 robots and evaluate their impression of each robot and intention of use regarding robot function. Contrary to the UV found for younger and middle-aged adults, older adults did not show UV–they preferred humanlike over non-humanlike robots, regardless of the robot function. Scores on each trait–except for authoritativeness–showed positive correlations with the acceptance of functions. These findings imply that the design of assistive robots should take UV into consideration by customizing robots’ appearances and functions to different age groups.

Uncanny Valley Effects on Friendship Decisions in Virtual Social Networking Service.

Drawing on the uncanny valley effects (UVE) hypothesis and related works on avatar-based interactions, this study investigates the role of UVE (i.e., a feeling of eeriness), induced by avatar realism and animacy, on the perceived trustworthiness (PT) of an avatar user, and subsequent decisions to befriend that avatar user in a virtual social networking service (SNS). Specifically, the current study examines whether (1) the realism (hyperrealistic vs. cartoonish) and animacy (animate vs. still) of avatars, rendered through a 3D scanning technology, will induce a feeling of eeriness as a result of UVE; (2) the degree to which perceivers experience a feeling of eeriness will negatively bias the PT of an avatar user; and (3) PT, determined by UVE, will serve a role as a gating mechanism for the decision whether to befriend the unknown avatar user in a virtual SNS. Results from a two (realism: cartoonish vs. hyperrealistic) × two (animacy: still vs. animate) between-subjects online experiment (N = 134) indicated that a feeling of eeriness, induced by the realism and animacy of avatars, negatively biased the PT of the avatar user, and this, in turn, led avatar perceivers to reject a friend request sent from the unknown avatar user. These results call into the question the effectiveness of rendering avatar realism in social virtual environments. Overall, the findings of our research provide theoretical as well as practical implications for the design of avatars in virtual SNSs.

Artificial Intelligence & Popular Music: SKYGGE, Flow Machines, and the Audio Uncanny Valley

This article presents an overview of the first AI-human collaborated album, Hello World, by SKYGGE, which utilizes Sony’s Flow Machines technologies. This case study is situated within a review of current and emerging uses of AI in popular music production, and connects those uses with myths and fears that have circulated in discourses concerning the use of AI in general, and how these fears connect to the idea of an audio uncanny valley. By proposing the concept of an audio uncanny valley in relation to AIPM (artificial intelligence popular music), this article offers a lens through which to examine the more novel and unusual melodies and harmonization made possible through AI music generation, and questions how this content relates to wider speculations about posthumanism, sincerity, and authenticity in both popular music, and broader assumptions of anthropocentric creativity. In its documentation of the emergence of a new era of popular music, the AI era, this article surveys: (1) The current landscape of artificial intelligence popular music focusing on the use of Markov models for generative purposes; (2) posthumanist creativity and the potential for an audio uncanny valley; and (3) issues of perceived authenticity in the technologically mediated “voice”.