When a Robot Tells You That It Can Lie

Abstract

What happens when a robot introduces itself and tells you that it can lie when it determines it is best for you? This work presents an empirical study into how people perceive the social intelligence of a robot that is either transparent or not about its honesty or deceptive capabilities. We also investigate if these perceptions are influenced by the physical or virtual presence of a robot. Through a mixed method approach, our results showed no significant differences in an aggregated perceived social intelligence with regards to either the presence factors or introduction transparency factors. However, individual components, like trustworthiness, were rated significantly more negative after a one-time, first introduction of a robot that was transparent about its deceptive capabilities. These results add much needed knowledge to the understudied area of robot deception and could inform designers and policy makers of future practices when considering deploying robots that deceive.