Taking the fiction out of science fiction: (Self-aware) robots and what they mean for society, retailers and marketers

Abstract

The development of human-like artificial intelligence has been a goal of computer scientists since the 1950s. Recent technological developments have led to an increased interest in the discourse on human-robot interactions, as robots equipped with artificial intelligence are expected to take a more prominent role in society. This article links insights from psychology and consumer behavior with recent developments in human-robot interactions. In doing so, the article first argues that humanoid robots will have a vast impact on society, specifically on the healthcare, educational and relationship sectors. The article also presents specific implications for retailers and marketers. Moreover, the article outlines examples on how human-robot interactions in the aforementioned sectors may be shaped once humanoid robots with artificial intelligence develop human like self-awareness. Finally, the article offers a viewpoint on how self-aware humanoid robots may even become active members of society that use brands as a means of self-expression; thus, suggesting that the notion of the consumer should be extended from humans to include self-aware humanoid robots.

Can nurses remain relevant in a technologically advanced future?

“…The call for assisting robots that assist nurses in the completion of their daily tasks would likely complete their daily tasks will likely escalate in the coming years. And perhaps these assisting robots would overtake human nurses and replace human nurses altogether [44].…”

Users' Affective and Cognitive Responses to Humanoid Robots in Different Expertise Service Contexts

“…37 Such evolution of robots implies that they will be able to fully acquire knowledge and make decisions, and ultimately be indistinguishable from humans. 10 Accordingly, future research needs to examine the UCV in human interaction with more intelligent or emotional robots beyond the current focus on robots' tangible attributes such as appearance or voice. 38…”

“…Advances in AI technologies have resulted in the creation of humanoid robots with diverse levels of expertise and led to their deployment in diverse contexts. 10 As users have more interaction with diverse robots with different expertise, the expertise context becomes more significant in understanding users' responses to robots. Another reason for choosing the expertise context is that robots' expertise can affect users' attitude toward robots.…”

Hybrid Physical Education Teaching and Curriculum Design Based on a Voice Interactive Artificial Intelligence Educational Robot

“…Speech recognition realizes the transformation from speech to text through the processing of speech signal. A special vocabulary library for the vocabulary in the professional field is established to store the professional vocabulary of different disciplines, and it is used in the training of speech model [19,20].…”