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Understanding AI With the Help of Social Robots

Published: August 29, 2022

How can a robot set limits and how should a robot behave in sensitive situations? A multidisciplinary group PhD of students from The WASP-HS Graduate School gather at Lund University to gain more insight on social robots.

Understanding how artificial intelligence affects society requires an interdisciplinary understanding where
different disciplines can help each other to see the opportunities and challenges from different perspectives. This is the aim of the research school run by WASP-HS. During the past week, 55 PhD students from over ten Swedish universities have come together to gain more insight into the practical opportunities and constraints that exist with social robots.

Joakim Wising, PhD student at the Department of Political Science at Umeå University

“It has been a fun and educational week with many different enlightening perspectives. To work so interdisciplinary has been a very exciting process”, says Joakim Wising, PhD student at the Department of Political Science at Umeå University.

Throughout the week the researchers have been exploring different scenarios such as police interrogations, how a robot should act when one needs to set limits, mental health care and more.

– We have seen a lot of innovation and a lot of robots. Among other things, we have also seen different ideas on what robots can be used for and how they can act together with humans in different social and critical situations, Joakim Wising continues.

“I am so very grateful for this week. I have a background in law and seeing a robot and what we can do with it in real life, and not only in my imagination, has truly made my understanding of limitations and challenges more clear”, says Subhalagna Choudhury, PhD at the Department of Business Studies at Uppsala University.

By the end of the week the PhD students showcased their work with the social robots.

All PhD students showcasing their social robots.