From Human-Like to Human-Centric Robots: What Type of Alignment to Humans Do We Need?

Abstract: Today we are witnessing an increased robotisation in all areas of society, from manufacturing to assistive technology, from healthcare to education. These application areas require robots to be able to interact with humans in an efficient and socially acceptable manner. At the same time, like all technologies, robots may not only bring benefits, but also change how we think and behave. This calls for human-robot interaction researchers to design and develop more human-centric and trustworthy artificial intelligence and robotics, which put humans at the center and preserve human agency and autonomy. In this talk I will present examples of creating trustworthy human-robot interaction in education, healthcare and transportation systems from my research at the Uppsala Social Robotics Lab, investigating dimensions of human agency, autonomy, trust, transparency, and fairness, in the quest for more human-centric robots for the societal good.