Episodes

  • The Case For Rude Robots

    The Case For Rude Robots
    Oct 28 2025
    There’s been discussion on whether people should say please and thank you to their Alexa or Claude, but should Alexa, Claude, and their robot relatives always maintain their level of civility when responding back to us? What is the point of (im)politeness in robotics? Linguist Derek Bousfield (expert on human politeness), computer scientist Blake Jackson … Continue reading "The Case For Rude Robots "
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    44 mins
  • Thesis for sale

    Thesis for sale
    Dec 1 2024
    What do you do if somebody else publishes your thesis as a book? This is what happened to Andrew Vonasch. Together, we investigated this new type of scam. We discovered a flood of stolen theses and the thieves’ method to publish them on Amazon and through other resellers. I interviewed Richard Elliott and sought legal … Continue reading "Thesis for sale"
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    41 mins
  • Where Are The Robots We Were Promised?

    Where Are The Robots We Were Promised?
    Nov 18 2024
    This episode is a live recording of the Raising the Bar event that took place on 10 September 2024 in Christchurch, New Zealand. I explore the long-standing promise of robots that would handle household tasks and serve as teachers, caregivers, and companions. Despite advancements in social robots, they remain absent from our daily lives. Figures … Continue reading "Where Are The Robots We Were Promised?"
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    41 mins
  • The One About Ethics

    The One About Ethics
    Oct 31 2024
     Robots are not just machines. We treat them as if they were somewhat like humans, including applying moral standards and expectations to them. Our behavior towards robots matters. The way we treat them reveals much about ourselves. In today’s episode, we will talk about how being nice is not the opposite of being cruel to … Continue reading "The One About Ethics"
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    38 mins
  • Puffery, Bullshit and Lies

    Puffery, Bullshit and Lies
    Oct 15 2024
    Robots and AI are being portrayed in overly optimistic videos, television shows and advertisements. Tesla’s Optimus robot is a prime example. In this episode Dwain Allan and Christoph Bartneck interview John Petrocelli and Nick Lee on how this puffery, bullshit and lies affect consumers and vulnerable people. Such as Suzanne Barron, who believes that robots … Continue reading "Puffery, Bullshit and Lies"
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • Humanoidization: Costs, Demand, and the Future of Work

    Humanoidization: Costs, Demand, and the Future of Work
    Oct 7 2024
    Humanoid robot companies are promising that humanoids will fast become our friends, colleagues, employees, and the backbone of our workforce. As Elon Musk described it when he first unveiled Tesla’s Optimus: “It will upend our idea of what the economy is… it will be able to do basically anything humans don’t want to do… it’s … Continue reading "Humanoidization: Costs, Demand, and the Future of Work"
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    26 mins
  • The New Humanoids

    The New Humanoids
    Jul 4 2024
    A new wave of humanoids entered the scene, and their creators promised us a bright future. Atlas, Figure, and Optimus are intended to work in spaces that are designed for humans. They are not only targeted at factories, but also at our homes and families. But what promises can they actually meet? Dwain Allan and … Continue reading "The New Humanoids"
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    27 mins
  • After the hype: what can AI really do for human-robot interaction?

    After the hype: what can AI really do for human-robot interaction?
    May 8 2024
    Artificial Intelligence promise to improve many aspects of our lives. The current hype, in particular around Large Language Model, raises the questions what of these bold visions of the future is science and what is fiction. AI is not new in HRI. For many decades researchers used it to enable robots to better interact with … Continue reading "After the hype: what can AI really do for human-robot interaction?"
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    41 mins