Robots in public spaces: implications for policy design

Mintrom, Michael; Sumartojo, Shanti; Kulić, Dana; Tian, Leimin; Carreno‐Medrano, Pamela; Allen, A.J.

doi:10.1080/25741292.2021.1905342

Cited by 24 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…In the application of robotics in health fields, affordability has been recognized as a crucial factor to ensure equitable access to health services, thus influencing the direction of technological development ( Chamzas et al, 2022 ; Matsumoto et al, 2022 ). The importance of equity has also been recognized in calls for policy around the use of robotic technology in public spaces ( Mintrom et al, 2022 ) as well as education ( Kupferman, 2022 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the utility of robots as distractors during a delay-of-gratification task in preschool children

et al. 2023

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The development of executive function (EF) in children, particularly with respect to self-regulation skills, has been linked to long-term benefits in terms of social and health outcomes. One such skill is the ability to deal with frustrations when waiting for a delayed, preferred reward. Although robots have increasingly been utilized in educational situations that involve teaching psychosocial skills to children, including various aspects related to self-control, the utility of robots in increasing the likelihood of self-imposed delay of gratification remains to be explored. Using a single-case experimental design, the present study exposed 24 preschoolers to three experimental conditions where a choice was provided between an immediately available reward and a delayed but larger reward. The likelihood of waiting increased over sessions when children were simply asked to wait, but waiting times did not increase further during a condition where teachers offered activities as a distraction. However, when children were exposed to robots and given the opportunity to interact with them, waiting times for the majority of children increased with medium to large effect sizes. Given the positive implications of strong executive function, how it might be increased in children in which it is lacking, limited, or in the process of developing, is of considerable import. This study highlights the effectiveness of robots as a distractor during waiting times and outlines a potential new application of robots in educational contexts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the utility of robots as distractors during a delay-of-gratification task in preschool children

et al. 2023

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“…As AI and robots are introduced to cities there is growing interest in investigating the extent to which RAS might generate new and unanticipated forms of urban life and social organizations, thus (re)configuring the contextual, contingent constellations of places, institutions, infrastructures and the myriad of entities and encounters that constitute the urban (Macrorie et al, 2020;While et al, 2021;Yigitcanlar et al, 2021;Mintrom et al, 2022). We therefore investigate the tensions and potentialities of the RAS and discuss how its deployment in MK may prefigure similar deployments elsewhere.…”

Section: Analytical Framework and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Humans, robots and artificial intelligences reconfiguring urban life in a crisis

Valdez

Cook

2023

Front. Sustain. Cities

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Autonomous urban robots were introduced in Milton Keynes (MK), UK, in 2018 to automate on-demand grocery delivery. Two years later the COVID-19 pandemic rendered routine activities such as delivering groceries or visiting the supermarket unexpectedly unsafe for humans. The ensuing disruption provided opportunities to investigate the potentialities of robotic and autonomous systems to provide cities with resources for coping with unexpected situations such as pandemics, heatwaves and blizzards and ultimately to transform and reinforce urban flows, leading to new ways of living in the city that arise as a result of emerging human-robot constellations. The crisis accelerated the ongoing transformation in human-robot relationships and made its tensions and potentials visible. The case of MK suggests that the cognitive capabilities of urban AIs are not to be found exclusively in computer bits and human neurons but arise from encounters and contexts, with institutions, policies, practices and even the materiality of the city itself being crucial to the emergence of urban AI.

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“…There is substantial evidence showing how, in recent years, AI tech ranging from autonomous cars to service robots and from drones to city brains, has been rapidly becoming part of the everyday (Acheampong et al 2021;Caprotti and Liu 2020;Jackman 2022;Milakis et al 2017;Mintrom et al 2021;Tiddi et al 2020;While et al 2021). In terms of safety, for example, police robots are being employed to maintain order in public spaces, while drones are becoming instruments of surveillance to monitor domestic spaces, and city brains' CCTV cameras are keeping an eye on every move urban residents make Jackman 2022;While et al 2021).…”

Section: To What Extent Do People Fear Artificial Intelligence?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Fear of AI: an inquiry into the adoption of autonomous cars in spite of fear, and a theoretical framework for the study of artificial intelligence technology acceptance

Cugurullo

Acheampong

2023

AI & Soc

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming part of the everyday. During this transition, people’s intention to use AI technologies is still unclear and emotions such as fear are influencing it. In this paper, we focus on autonomous cars to first verify empirically the extent to which people fear AI and then examine the impact that fear has on their intention to use AI-driven vehicles. Our research is based on a systematic survey and it reveals that while individuals are largely afraid of cars that are driven by AI, they are nonetheless willing to adopt this technology as soon as possible. To explain this tension, we extend our analysis beyond just fear and show that people also believe that AI-driven cars will generate many individual, urban and global benefits. Subsequently, we employ our empirical findings as the foundations of a theoretical framework meant to illustrate the main factors that people ponder when they consider the use of AI tech. In addition to offering a comprehensive theoretical framework for the study of AI technology acceptance, this paper provides a nuanced understanding of the tension that exists between the fear and adoption of AI, capturing what exactly people fear and intend to do.

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Robots in public spaces: implications for policy design

Cited by 24 publications

References 35 publications

Exploring the utility of robots as distractors during a delay-of-gratification task in preschool children

Exploring the utility of robots as distractors during a delay-of-gratification task in preschool children

Humans, robots and artificial intelligences reconfiguring urban life in a crisis

Fear of AI: an inquiry into the adoption of autonomous cars in spite of fear, and a theoretical framework for the study of artificial intelligence technology acceptance

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