Papers
20
Total Citations
2,307
H-Index
16
About
Kurt Gray is a social psychologist whose research sits at the intersection of moral psychology, mind perception, and human-robot interaction. Best known for his foundational work on how people perceive minds in non-human entities, Gray has become one of the leading voices in understanding the psychological dimensions of artificial intelligence and robotics in everyday life. His highly cited 2012 paper on the uncanny valley (878 citations) established key theoretical links between mind perception and the discomfort humans feel toward humanoid robots—a thread he has continued to pull across his career, exploring when uncanny feelings emerge developmentally and how they might be reduced. His work on service robots has shown that attributing feelings to robots can actually help organizations recover from robotic errors, while complementary research demonstrates that automation threatens workers psychologically, driving spiteful and maladaptive behaviors. Gray has also tackled questions of machine morality and algorithmic accountability, examining how people assign responsibility to robots and how cultural background shapes technology acceptance. Collectively, his papers have amassed over 2,000 citations, and his research offers essential insights for organizations, policymakers, and designers navigating an increasingly automated world—making him essential reading for anyone studying the human side of technological change.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Feeling robots and human zombies: Mind perception and the uncanny valley878 citations · 2012
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- 4Holding Robots Responsible: The Elements of Machine Morality182 citations · 2019
- 5Reducing the uncanny valley by dehumanizing humanoid robots127 citations · 2021
- 6Creepiness Creeps In: Uncanny Valley Feelings Are Acquired in Childhood114 citations · 2017
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- 9Could a rising robot workforce make humans less prejudiced?59 citations · 2020
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