A Robot Forensic Interviewer

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to begin a discussion of the benefits, challenges, and ethical concerns related to the use of robots as intermediaries for obtaining sensitive information from children within the human-robot interaction (HRI), criminology, sociology, legal, and psychological communities. This work examines how robots may impede disclosures from children, encourage inaccurate disclosures, facilitate unintended disclosures, provide a more reliable interviewer, decrease the likelihood of misleading children, and enhance forensic interviews through high fidelity data logging. Open research questions, proposed research studies, and pathways toward deployment of robots as forensic interviewers are provided. As HRI researchers working in an interdisciplinary team, with members trained by the National Child Advocacy Center in Child Forensic Interview Protocols, we believe sustaining a dialogue concerning the design and appropriate use of robots in this area is essential for continued progress.