Kate Darling on Why Humans Bond With Robots

Humans know robots are machines. That does not stop us from naming them, caring about them, or feeling uncomfortable when someone hurts one. In this episode of Automated, Brian Heater speaks with Kate Darling, Research Lead for Robotics, Ethics & Society at RAI Institute, about why social robots may be far more valuable than their current capabilities suggest. Kate believes every social robot we have seen so far is still in the PalmPilot stage of innovation. The breakthrough may come when people stop asking what a robot does and begin recognizing companionship itself as the application. But that emotional connection also creates risks. Kate explains why empathy is not a finite resource, even if attention is, and how companion technologies can be designed to serve a company’s interests instead of the user’s. The problem is not simply that people form relationships with machines. It is what businesses may do with those relationships. Brian and Kate also discuss humanoid robot safety, including what happens when an emergency stop causes a dynamically balanced robot to collapse. Kate explains why the workers who understand factories and warehouses need to be involved in these decisions before robots are deployed. The conversation also challenges one of automation’s most familiar promises: that robots will take over dull, dirty, and dangerous work. Kate argues that these labels are rarely defined and can overlook cultural differences, underreported injuries, and the parts of a job that workers actually enjoy. They also explore the future of work and why robots are not independently coming for anyone’s job. Companies make choices about how automation is used, whether it replaces a worker or improves an entire workflow. Finally, Kate shares the unforgettable Pleo experiment that changed the direction of her career. After participants bonded with a group of baby robot dinosaurs, they refused to damage them, even when threatened with losing every robot in the room. The experiment was not a formal scientific study, but the participants’ emotional response revealed something Kate has spent her career exploring: people can know a robot is a machine and still feel deeply compelled to treat it as if it were alive. Connect with Kate Darling https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-darling-37a181149 Learn more about Kate’s work https://www.katedarling.org/ Learn more about RAI Institute https://rai-inst.com/ Read The New Breed https://www.amazon.com/New-Breed-History-Animals-Reveals/dp/1250296102 We’d love to hear from you. Have thoughts or guest suggestions? Reach us at [podcast@automate.org](mailto:podcast@automate.org) You can find the transcript and more episodes of Automated at automated.fm Unlock full access to Automated and explore everything automation. Subscribe today and leave a review on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the Automated Newsletter. https://www.youtube.com/@automatedpodcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/automated-with-brian-heater/id1837762221 https://open.spotify.com/show/60olq6brlBEIJWggx2fMR6 https://www.automate.org/automation/automated-newsletter LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/automated-podcast-by-a3/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/automatedpod/