GAIPS talk: “Research on Empathy by and for Robots – Are we Ethically on the Right Track? A Philosophical Commentary” by Eva Weber-Guskar (Ruhr University Bochum)
On June 18, GAIPS (Group of AI for People and Society) from INESC-ID will host a talk titled “Research on Empathy by and for Robots – Are we Ethically on the Right Track? A Philosophical Commentary” presented by Dr. Eva Weber-Guskar. The talk will delve on the ethical implications of empathy in robots in a philosophical perspective.
Date & Time: June 18, 10h30
Where: Técnico – Oeiras | Room 1-44 or via Zoom here
Abstract: The goal of many AI researchers, especially in the field of affective computing, is to build social chatbots and social robots that can significantly help people with their needs, communicate and collaborate with them smoothly, and perhaps even form some kind of relationship with humans. Empathy by and for robots is often seen as an appropriate or even necessary means to this end. In this talk, I will examine this strategy from the perspective of philosophical ethics. If empathy for someone involves re-feeling the emotions of another, then AI systems that cannot feel cannot be partners in empathy in the true sense of the word, because they cannot feel anything. Rather, some argue that humans must engage in a kind of fictional game with them in order to benefit from the simulation of empathy. I will show that such a fictional understanding of human-robot interaction has some problematic consequences. Finally, I will propose to think about a different kind of relationship with an AI system, a realistic one that can fulfil social functions without relying on illusion or fictionalisation, and suggest possible design features that could support such kinds of interaction and relationships.
Bio: Eva Weber-Guskar has been Heisenberg Professor of Ethics and Philosophy of Emotions at Ruhr University Bochum since 2019. She previously held guest professorships in Berlin, Vienna, Zurich and Erlangen and was a Visting Scholar at New York University. She habilitated with a book on human dignity (2016) and got her PhD with a book on what it means to understand emotions (2009). She is currently working on temporal aspects of the good life and on the ethics of emotionalized artificial intelligence, especially as a PI in the interdisciplinary research group INTERACT! New forms of social interaction with intelligent systems in Bochum.
(Image credits: RUB, Kramer)
About INESC-ID
INESC-ID, “Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores: Investigação e Desenvolvimento em Lisboa” is a Research and Development and Innovation Organization (R&D+i) in the fields of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering. INESC-ID mission is to produce added value to people and society, supporting the response of public policies to scientific, health, environmental, cultural, social, economic and political challenges. INESC-ID promotes cooperation between academia and industry by addressing research on daily life issues, such as healthcare, space, mobility, agri-food, industry 4.0, and smart grids. This high level of knowledge transfer is achieved through both competitive research projects and direct contracted research. Public and private entities have therefore access to a pool of knowledge, resources and services provided through the unique competencies available at the institution.
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