Dr. Kate Darling calls herself a “Mistress of Machines.” And at Inspire 2019, her passion for robotics was on full display. Dr. Darling captivated our audience of meeting planners with a high-energy, fast-paced keynote that was aimed at separating fact from fiction when it comes to the emergence of robots in our daily lives.

Seeking to look at the real-life implications of robotics, Dr. Darling shared these truths about human nature and our simultaneous desire for, and fear of, robots:

1. WE’VE BEEN DEVELOPING ROBOTS FOR CENTURIES, BUT WE’RE STILL NOT THAT FAR ALONG.

As Dr. Darling explained, despite having worked to create machines that will make our lives easier for quite some time, we still have not mastered the ability to create robots that look anything like those we see in the movies. Yes, we are integrating robotic technology into shared spaces more and more, but we are only just beginning to see what that will look like and how the human-robot relationship will evolve.

2. HUMANS ARE HARDWIRED TO PROJECT EMOTION ONTO ROBOTS.

Something Dr. Darling talks about at great length is the way humans tend to anthropomorphize robots, projecting our relationships onto them. This is because we are biologically trained to respond to movement. In particular, we tend to look to animals to better understand how we should relate to robots, because we have partnered with animals in the past to become more efficient.

3. THAT HUMANS BECOME ATTACHED TO ROBOTS CAN HELP US PROACTIVELY ANTICIPATE OUR RESPONSES TO THEM.

Armed with the knowledge that we view robots as animals or companions, we can use robots to help vulnerable populations. Understanding what robots are, and what they are not, as well as the ways human instinctually react to them, can help us create products that solve, rather than exacerbate, existing problems.

Want to hear more from Dr. Darling? Watch our behind the scenes video with her from the Inspire Conference:

BOOK KATE DARLING FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT

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