Theory of Robot Communication: I. The Medium is the Communication Partner

TL;DR

This paper examines how existing Computer-Mediated Communication theories apply to interactions with autonomous robots, proposing an extension to account for robots acting as communication partners in social contexts.

Contribution

It introduces the idea that CMC theories need to be expanded to include robots as autonomous communication media and partners.

Findings

Existing CMC theories largely hold for remote-controlled robots

Autonomous robots as communication partners require theoretical extension

Proposes a framework for future CMC theory involving social robots

Abstract

When people use electronic media for their communication, Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) theories describe the social and communicative aspects of people's interpersonal transactions. When people interact via a remote-controlled robot, many of the CMC theses hold. Yet, what if people communicate with a conversation robot that is (partly) autonomous? Do the same theories apply? This paper discusses CMC theories in confrontation with observations and research data gained from human-robot communication. As a result, I argue for an addition to CMC theorizing when the robot as a medium itself becomes the communication partner. In view of the rise of social robots in coming years, I define the theoretical precepts of a possible next step in CMC, which I elaborate in a second paper.