Bots against Bias: Critical Next Steps for Human-Robot Interaction

TL;DR

This paper explores the origins and implications of bias in human-robot interaction, emphasizing the importance of designing bias-aware robots and leveraging robots to address societal bias.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of bias in social robots and proposes critical next steps for designing bias-conscious robots and using robots to mitigate bias in society.

Findings

Bias arises from human design and societal influences.

Bias-conscious robots can reduce social biases.

Robots can be tools for addressing societal bias.

Abstract

We humans are biased - and our robotic creations are biased, too. Bias is a natural phenomenon that drives our perceptions and behavior, including when it comes to socially expressive robots that have humanlike features. Recognizing that we embed bias, knowingly or not, within the design of such robots is crucial to studying its implications for people in modern societies. In this chapter, I consider the multifaceted question of bias in the context of humanoid, AI-enabled, and expressive social robots: Where does bias arise, what does it look like, and what can (or should) we do about it. I offer observations on human-robot interaction (HRI) along two parallel tracks: (1) robots designed in bias-conscious ways and (2) robots that may help us tackle bias in the human world. I outline a curated selection of cases for each track drawn from the latest HRI research and positioned against social, legal, and ethical factors. I also propose a set of critical next steps to tackle the challenges and opportunities on bias within HRI research and practice.