We are pleased to invite your attendance to our forthcoming symposium panel on The Impact of Anthropomorphism on Human Understanding of Intelligent Systems, as part of the AISB Annual Convention to be held virtually 7-9 April 2021. The convention is organised by the Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour (AISB), the world's oldest AI conference series. #AnthroAISB21

The AISB symposia are accessible from this page, https://aisb.org.uk/access-aisb21/. You should need to login with your AISB membership, make a password that goes with the email associated with your account.

Attention students and academics from countries with very weak currencies: the Centre for Digital Governance of the Hertie School is offering to buy a limited number of studentships for people who would otherwise be unable to attend! Apply here by 30 March.

Topic Overview

Anthropomorphism refers to the attribution of humanlike cognitive or emotional characteristics to nonhuman entities including animals and inanimate objects, and can provide a way of relating and rationalising an entity’s complex behaviours. Humans are highly susceptible to anthropomorphism, and this can be elicited by an entity’s physical form (e.g., assigning mentality to an object with a face-like appearance), or its observable behaviours (e.g., projecting human intentionality onto moving objects, particularly those appearing to exhibit decision-making).

This inclination to anthropomorphically perceive agency in nonhuman entities has also been exploited for the design of socially interactive robots. Specifically, the addition of relevant characteristics such as facial features, speech, or biological movement behaviours allows the human observer to more readily assign mentality to the robot, thereby augmenting the experience of a socially engaging interaction. Other than increasing initial interest and engagement, the wider and longer term impact of perceiving artefacts anthropomorphically is not yet known.

The purpose of this panel is to highlight empirical studies and understand their implications. Anthropomorphised AI is pervasive not only in fiction but in fact, with NLP for example present in 3.8 Billion smartphones worldwide. What can science tell us about its impacts? What should be the focus of scientists, developers, and regulators going forwards?

2021 Panel and Panelists

In 2019-2020 we issued a call for papers for a symposium, and found relatively few empirical studies. In 2021 we are delighted to highlight some of the great work we did find through the process of that call. We are holding this panel to spotlight this work, and bring attention to this important set of problems.

• • Prof. Ruth Aylett, Heriott Watt University

  • Dr. Markus Kneer, University of Zürich

  • Prof. Tony Prescott, University of Sheffield

  • Ms Hannah Bradwell, University of Plymouth

The panel will take place from 3pm-4:50pm UK time on 7 April 2021. Registration for AISB 2021 is free for AISB members, and AISB membership is both unbelievably inexpensive and very, very worthwhile – particularly for PhD students who get far more back in travel assistance than they pay, not to mention the fantastic weekly bulletins and other benefits!

Schedule:

• 3pm: Introduction to panel, 10 minutes talks per panelist

• 4pm: Debate between panelists on costs and benefits of anthropomorphising AI.

• 4:20pm: Question and Answer with audience;

• 4:50pm: close and break before the first AISB 2021 plenary, by Prof. Sophie Scott