Arianna Pipitone

About

Arianna Pipitone is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of cognitive robotics, human-robot interaction, and artificial intelligence, best known for her groundbreaking work on inner speech as a mechanism for machine self-awareness. Her most influential contribution, "Developing Self-Awareness in Robots via Inner Speech" (2020, 69 citations), established a compelling framework for endowing robots with introspective capabilities modeled on human psychological processes, drawing from neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive architecture design. Building on this foundation, Pipitone has systematically explored how simulated inner monologue shapes human trust and anthropomorphism toward robotic systems, demonstrating that robots capable of overt self-talk are perceived as more transparent, relatable, and trustworthy partners. Her work spans practical applications as well, including leveraging intelligent robotic assistants during the COVID-19 pandemic (33 citations). More recently, she has pushed into ethically rich territory, investigating how inner speech might cultivate practical wisdom — or phronesis — in autonomous systems. With a cumulative body of work exceeding 230 citations, Pipitone's research offers a uniquely humanistic lens on robot cognition, making her a distinctive and increasingly influential voice in the future of ethical, self-aware artificial agents.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Developing Self-Awareness in Robots via Inner Speech

   69 citations · 2020
2. 2
   What robots want? Hearing the inner voice of a robot

   34 citations · 2021
3. 3
   Robots as intelligent assistants to face COVID-19 pandemic

   33 citations · 2020
4. 4
   A cognitive architecture for inner speech

   28 citations · 2019
5. 5
   Automation Inner Speech as an Anthropomorphic Feature Affecting Human Trust: Current Issues and Future Directions

   18 citations · 2021
6. 6
   Robot’s Inner Speech Effects on Human Trust and Anthropomorphism

   16 citations · 2023
7. 7
   Robot passes the mirror test by inner speech

   16 citations · 2021
8. 8
   Knowledge acquisition through introspection in Human-Robot Cooperation

   13 citations · 2018
9. 9
   Robot's Inner Speech Effects on Trust and Anthropomorphic Cues in\n Human-Robot Cooperation

   4 citations · 2021
10. 10
    Unlocking practical wisdom through the inner voice of robots

    3 citations · 2025

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links