Ethical Implications of Stereotyping Robots in Public Spaces

Abstract

Anthropomorphic cues can be useful in the design of social robots to ensure an intuitive human-robot interaction. However, anthropomorphic design is not just human-like in general, but often a stereotypical portrayal of a specific social group. Using the example of a fictional case study, namely a wheelchair robot representing disabled persons in public spaces, this paper examines the ethical implication of humanoid robots representing social groups. Three arguments are discussed: Firstly, stereotypically designed robots can make implicit stereotypes explicit and hence raise awareness. Secondly, robots can represent underrepresented social groups and thus draw attention to minorities. However, thirdly, the question is raised whether the representation by a robot is legitimate or on the contrary, a dehumanization of the respective group. The aim of this paper is not to answer whether robots should or should not represent social groups but raise awareness of the problem of stereotypical design.