WHO IS AFRAID OF THE HUMANOID? INVESTIGATING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN THE ACCEPTANCE OF ROBOTS

摘要

Are robots perceived in the same manner in the West and in Japan? This article presents a preliminary exploration of several aspects of the Japanese culture and a survey of the most important myths and novels involving artificial beings in Western literature. Through this analysis, the article tries to shed light on particular cultural features that may account for contemporary differences in our behavior towards humanoids.