Name: Why we have an emotional connection to robots
Uploaded: 2018-10-16T14:49:55Z
Duration: 11 min 41 s
Description: 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.

Kate Darling: Why we have an emotional connection to robots

Why we have an emotional connection to robots

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.

People instinctively develop emotional connections with robots, even knowing these machines cannot feel. A military colonel once called off a robot landmine test because watching the damaged robot struggle felt inhumane. This deep-seated response shapes how society accepts robots in roles from caregivers to companions. As robots grow more lifelike, our instinct to treat them with empathy may reshape social norms, laws, and even our understanding of kindness.