Program

Title: Designing Ethical Deception in Human–Robot Interaction

Abstract: Deception is often treated as a problem to be eliminated in HRI. However, many interactive systems inherently shape users’ perceptions, emotions, and beliefs in ways that do not fully reflect their underlying mechanisms. From anthropomorphic appearances to emotionally expressive behaviors and embodied interaction, artificial agents routinely create experiences that can be understood as forms of  designed illusion. In this talk, I argue that deception in HRI is not merely a defect, but a fundamental design mechanism. Drawing on research in persuasive technology, affective computing, and mixed reality, I present empirical examples showing how users are influenced by emotionally expressive agents, how human-like representations increase trust and susceptibility to misinformation, and how embodied agents can enhance social presence and reduce loneliness. However, under what conditions can such designed deception be considered ethically acceptable? Rather than advocating for the elimination of deception, I propose a design-oriented approach that distinguishes between harmful and beneficial forms of deception. In particular, I discuss how ethical boundaries can be framed in terms of user well-being, autonomy, transparency, and reversibility, especially when interacting with vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.