Amanda Sharkey

About

Amanda Sharkey is a prominent researcher at the University of Sheffield whose work sits at the intersection of robotics, artificial intelligence, and ethics. She is best known for her rigorous ethical examinations of how robots interact with vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly and children. Her landmark 2010 paper, "Granny and the robots," has accumulated nearly 950 citations and remains a foundational text in robot ethics, raising critical questions about dignity, autonomy, and wellbeing when machines assume caregiving roles. This thread runs throughout her career: her studies on robot nannies, eldercare robotics, and companion robots for children collectively challenge the assumption that technological solutions to caregiving are inherently benevolent, warning of risks to human dignity and authentic social connection. Sharkey has extended her ethical lens beyond care settings, scrutinizing robot teachers across four distinct classroom scenarios, interrogating deception in social robotics, and addressing the profound moral dangers of autonomous weapons systems and killer robots. Her work consistently centers human dignity as a non-negotiable value in an increasingly automated world. With thousands of citations across her most influential papers, Sharkey has become an indispensable voice in shaping how researchers, policymakers, and educators think responsibly about the societal deployment of robots.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Granny and the robots: ethical issues in robot care for the elderly

   946 citations · 2010
2. 2
   Should we welcome robot teachers?

   244 citations · 2016
3. 3
   Robots and human dignity: a consideration of the effects of robot care on the dignity of older people

   195 citations · 2014
4. 4
   The crying shame of robot nannies

   194 citations · 2010
5. 5
   Autonomous weapons systems, killer robots and human dignity

   182 citations · 2018
6. 6
   We need to talk about deception in social robotics!

   161 citations · 2020
7. 7
   Children, the Elderly, and Interactive Robots

   156 citations · 2011
8. 8
   The crying shame of robot nannies: An ethical appraisal

   146 citations · 2010
9. 9
   The “Test and Select” Approach to Ensemble Combination

   92 citations · 2000
10. 10
    The Eldercare Factory

    90 citations · 2011

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links