logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2019
11m 58s

Why we have an emotional connection to r...

TED
About this episode
We're far from developing robots that feel emotions, but we already have feelings towards them, says robot ethicist Kate Darling, and an instinct like that can have consequences. Learn more about how we're biologically hardwired to project intent and life onto machines -- and how it might help us better understand ourselves.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
The hidden cost of buying gold | Claudia Vega
Gold may glitter, but the hidden cost of mining it is devastating. Amazon researcher and TED Fellow Claudia Vega exposes how mercury pollution from artisanal gold mining poisons local communities and destroys rainforests — and shows why protecting the planet is far more valuable ... Show More
33m 25s
Oct 9
How we’re turning pollution into toys, toothpaste and more | Xu Hao
It took alcohol 200 years to go from scientific discovery to industrial revolution, but tech innovator Xu Hao says we can’t afford to wait that long to tackle the climate crisis. He explores why most climate solutions are still stuck in labs — despite breakthrough science that ca ... Show More
14m 22s
Oct 8
The best thing that could happen to the energy industry | Matt Tilleard
History has been written by whoever controls the dominant fuel of the era — until now, says renewables entrepreneur Matt Tilleard. He explains why, as the clean energy transition ramps up, we’re moving from a world where energy comes from burning fuels to one where it will come f ... Show More
13m 51s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2021
Why we have an emotional connection to robots | Kate Darling
We're far from developing robots that feel emotions, but we already have feelings towards them, says robot ethicist Kate Darling, and an instinct like that can have consequences. Learn more about how we're biologically hardwired to project intent and life onto machines -- and how ... Show More
12m 15s
Nov 2021
Robot as Threat
When a robot goes bad, who is responsible? It’s not always clear if the user or the manufacturer is liable when a robot leaves the lot. Human behavior can be complex—and often contradictory. Asking machines to interpret that behavior is quite the task. Will it one day be possible ... Show More
23m 11s
Jan 2024
Preserving Our Humanity In The Age Of Robots
Human beings are hardwired for social connection – so much so that we think of even the most basic objects as having feelings or experiences. (Yup, we're talking to you, Roomba owners!) Social robots add a layer to this. They're designed to make us feel like they're our friends. ... Show More
14m 21s
Sep 2021
Ruth Aylett and Patricia A. Vargas, "Living with Robots: What Every Anxious Human Needs to Know" (MIT Press, 2021)
There's a lot of hype about robots; some of it is scary and some of it utopian. In this accessible book, two robotics experts reveal the truth about what robots can and can't do, how they work, and what we can reasonably expect their future capabilities to be. It will not only ma ... Show More
1h 5m
Mar 2023
Ist es gut, wenn Maschinen Gefühle triggern, Kenza Ait Si Abbou?
Eigentlich weiß jeder Mensch: Roboter können nicht fühlen. Trotzdem kommt es immer wieder vor, dass Menschen sich emotional auf Maschinen einlassen. Mitarbeitende geben Robotern Namen wie zum Beispiel Robo und unterhalten sich mit Ihnen, wie häufig in der Pflege zu erleben. Ein P ... Show More
41m 54s
Jul 2017
Could You Kill A Robot?
Will we one day create machines that are essentially just like us? People have been wrestling with that question since the advent of robotics. But maybe we're missing another, even more intriguing question: what can robots teach us about ourselves? We ponder that question with Ka ... Show More
32m 32s
Nov 2021
Robot as Body
For years, prosthetic technology focused on form over function, on masking lost limbs, rather than agency and usability. But things are changing. Innovations in robotics are giving more people more options, with lower thresholds of entry—and lower price tags, too.  Tilly Lockey t ... Show More
22m 43s
Nov 2016
10 - Robots, Artificial Intelligence, & Extinction?
Will we see robots that look, feel, and communicate in such lifelike ways that we won’t be able to tell them apart from other humans in our lifetime? When did the artificial intelligence movement begin? Is our progress with artificial intelligence leading to an inevitable, Skynet ... Show More
37m 22s
May 2018
Robots take over (the show)! Live from Robotstravaganza
What was the first robot? What is artificial intelligence? How do robots "learn?" In this special episode, we have pieces from our live Robotstravaganza show in Boston. We meet some awesome robots (including one that's very cuddly), debate whether robots are good for humanity ... Show More
31m 55s