Vain Robots

When talking about using robots to better understand ourselves, the first human trait that comes to my mind is vanity. Would any other entity share this profound interest, almost obsession, with themselves that we seem to possess? Would they use every tool available to get a better understanding of themselves like we do? To clarify, it is not my intention to condemn this curiosity, as I think it is one of the forces that drives human innovation. I myself am guilty of spending my whole bachelor’s degree studying humans, thinking I would gain a better understanding human behavior and our inner world. Spoiler alert, I did not, but had a good time trying anyway. Now back to the matter at hand, I was wondering if robots could be vain like us.

Vanity can relate either to an overestimation of one’s attractiveness or an excessive belief in one’s abilities. Jordan Wolfson mimics some aspects of the former in his robot female figure (2014). The robot dances in front of a mirror and is fixed to the mirror with a metal rod. At a first glance, it seems like this robot is, well, vain. She looks in the mirror with seemingly little attention for her surroundings, as if she is absorbed by her own image. However, this illusion is quickly dispatched when you notice that female figure does not look at her own appearance, but rather at the audience that objectifies her by making eye-contact through the mirror with them. So, while female figure may appear at first glance as an illustration of human vanity, it quickly becomes more of a mirror for the audience to examine themselves and their psyche. I think this ties neatly back into our 'vain' obsession with trying to understand ourselves better. In conclusion, I am unsure whether robots can be vain in the literal sense, as they would need self-awareness to be obsessed with themselves, but I am sure that they can be used to examine our own vanity in a thought-provoking way.