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Human-Robot Interaction and User Manipulation

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Persuasive Technology (PERSUASIVE 2022)

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Abstract

The analysis presented is focused on the interaction among social robots and humans. It is here stated that, despite the multidisciplinary debate around the theme, social robots have to be ontologically deemed objects. The pleasant design and the simulation of intelligence, as much as social and emotional competences, are useful to convey acceptability and to favour interaction. However, they may lead to forms of manipulation which can impact the users’ will and undermine their physical and psychological integrity. This rises the need of a legal framework, able to guarantee a really human-centred development of new technologies and to ensure the protection of people involved in the interaction. Therefore, the recent European proposal of regulation, the Artificial Intelligence Act, is examined. In particular, the section on prohibited practices is critically analysed, so as to highlight the controversial aspects of such an approach. Thus, it is suggested the role of human dignity as a balancing principle to address the issues related to user manipulation in the human-robot interaction domain.

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Acknowledgements

Andrea Bertolini primarily contributed to Sects. 1, 2, 3, 6, 6.1, 7.

Rachele Carli primarily contributed to Sects. 1, 4, 5, 6, 6.2, 7.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DIRPOLIS Institute and EURA (European Centre of Excellence on the Regulation of Robotics & AI), Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy

    Andrea Bertolini

  2. Alma Mater Research Institute for Human-Centered AI, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Rachele Carli

  3. ICR Group, AI RoboLab, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

    Rachele Carli

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  1. Andrea Bertolini
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Correspondence to Andrea Bertolini .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand

    Nilufar Baghaei

  2. University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

    Julita Vassileva

  3. Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar

    Raian Ali

  4. University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    Kiemute Oyibo

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Bertolini, A., Carli, R. (2022). Human-Robot Interaction and User Manipulation. In: Baghaei, N., Vassileva, J., Ali, R., Oyibo, K. (eds) Persuasive Technology. PERSUASIVE 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13213. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98438-0_4

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