Thomas Riccio

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About

Thomas Riccio’s research lies at the electrifying intersection of performance studies, robotics, and cultural anthropology, where he explores how humanoid social robots function as living performances of our collective imagination. His most influential work centers on Sophia, the world’s most recognized humanoid social robot, created by David Hanson. In his 2021 paper (14 citations), Riccio analyzes Sophia as a gendered, performative ambassador—a “harbinger of a tomorrow world that is here”—who performs globally as a messenger, celebrity, and symbol of human-technology convergence. His 2024 book expands this inquiry, positioning Hanson’s robots as a paradigm for the evolution of social robotics, tracing how mechanical beings have moved from ancient myth to pop-cultural apotheosis. With over 20 combined citations, Riccio’s contributions illuminate how robots embody our cultural moment, reshaping how we understand identity, performance, and the boundaries between human and machine. His work is essential reading for scholars in performance studies, AI ethics, and media studies, offering a provocative lens on the robots that now inhabit our shared imagination.