56 | New Scientist | 21 March 2020
The back pages Q&A
COURTESY OF BITCH QUEENSSo, what do you do?
I’m a researcher at MIT, where I study
human-machine interaction from a
social, legal and ethical perspective.When humans interact with machines
like robots, they often seem to develop
an emotional connection. Why?
We are very social creatures and we tend to
subconsciously treat robots like they are alive,
even though we know they are just machines.
Part of this comes from our tendency to
anthropomorphise, i.e. to project human
traits, motivations and behaviours onto non-
humans, like our pets. We do this in order to
make sense of the world around us. Robots move
around in our physical space in a way that seems
to have agency, so we are hardwired to perceive
them more like a living thing than an object. Plus,
some robots are intentionally designed to look
alive or mimic social cues. When a robot behaves
in a way that we recognise and empathise with,
we can become emotionally attached.Do we engage more with robots that
look human?
A lot of it is about projecting ourselves, so
designing a robot to mimic certain aspects of
human emotion can make a robot engaging. But
the robot doesn’t necessarily need to look human.
R2-D2 from Star Wars only communicates through
beeps and boops, yet he has more fans than his
humanoid partner C-3PO. In fact, more than 80 per
cent of people will name their robotic vacuum
cleaner, which isn’t even designed to be social.How did you end up working in this field?
I have always been passionate about studying how
systems change human behaviour. Plus, I love
robots, and now I get to play with them every day.Your upcoming book is about animals.
Are there parallels with robots?
Yes. The book looks at our history of domesticating
animals for work, weaponry and companionship,
and draws out lessons on how to integrate robotic
technology. There are many parallels to how we
could be thinking about robots, from workplace use
to responsibility for harm to social relationships.How has your field of study changed in
the time you have been working in it?
A decade ago, people viewed studying human-
robot interaction as fringe. Now that robots
are coming into workplaces, households and
public spaces, the importance of understanding
their social impact is more salient and the field is
growing. I’m glad people no longer think I’m weird!As a child, what did you want to be when
you grew up?
I wanted to be a singer, which my husband
thinks is very funny.What scientific development do
you hope to see in your lifetime?
Better breast-pumping technology.What’s the best thing you’ve read or seen
in the past 12 months?
Everything by The Washington Post columnist
Alexandra Petri.If you could have a conversation with any
scientist, living or dead, who would it be?
Katie Mack, a theoretical astrophysicist who has
inspired people all over the world to be interested
in science. I would love to talk to her about how
she taps into our wonder and excitement.Do you have an unexpected hobby, and
if so, please will you tell us about it?
I love rock shows! My brother is in a European
glam rock band called Bitch Queens.How useful will your skills be after the
apocalypse?
If the apocalypse is a robot uprising, very.OK, one last thing: tell us something that will
blow our minds...
For hundreds of years, we put animals on trial for
the crimes they committed. There is even a movie,
The Hour of the Pig, based on a true story and
starring Colin Firth as a lawyer defending a pig. ❚Kate Darling is a research specialist at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology’s Media Lab. Her book The New
Breed: What our history with animals reveals about our
future with machines (Henry Holt and Co.) is out in 2021“ For hundreds
of years, we put
animals on trial
for the crimes
they committed”
Kate Darling studies how we interact
with robots and form emotional
connections to them. There are a lot
of parallels with our treatment of
domesticated animals, she says