The authors argue for a sociologically inspired media studies approach to social robotics, and to Human-Machine communication in everyday life contexts. From this perspective, social robots need to be contextualised within the radicalization of the process of convergence, that in the last 30 years has reshaped our media environment. After the convergence of media, in fact, what we are witnessing today is a convergence of media and programmable machines, leading to the rise of media-machines (including, along with social robots, smart speakers and the internet of things). Advanced automation allows these new devices not only to exert some form of material agency in the world, but also to propose themselves to humans as proper communicative partners, interacting with them and co-constructing meaning in a ‘natural way’. Our study investigated the relationships between humans and media-machines in natural settings, drawing on two cases of human-robot communication: the deployment of Pepper at the Bologna airport, and at Universit  Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – curated by the authors. The preliminary results show how the interaction with social robots, far from being ‘natural’, is actually prefigured and disciplined by the robot programming, configuration and scripts, and how humans are instructed to assume a defined – and limited – interactional role.

Tosoni, S., Mascheroni, G., Colombo, F., A Media-Studies take on Social Robots as Media-Machines, in Riva, G. -. M. A. (ed.), Homane Robotics. A Multidisciplinary Approach towards the Development of Humane-Centered Technologies, Vita e Pensiero Pubblic University:Largo Gemelli 1, I 20123 Milan Italy:011 39 02 72342310, 011 39 2 72342370, EMAIL: redazione.vp@unicatt.it, Fax: 011 39 02 72342974, Milano 2022: 266- 285 [http://hdl.handle.net/10807/195683]

A Media-Studies take on Social Robots as Media-Machines

Tosoni, Simone
Primo
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
;
Mascheroni, Giovanna
Secondo
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
;
Colombo, Fausto
Ultimo
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
2022

Abstract

The authors argue for a sociologically inspired media studies approach to social robotics, and to Human-Machine communication in everyday life contexts. From this perspective, social robots need to be contextualised within the radicalization of the process of convergence, that in the last 30 years has reshaped our media environment. After the convergence of media, in fact, what we are witnessing today is a convergence of media and programmable machines, leading to the rise of media-machines (including, along with social robots, smart speakers and the internet of things). Advanced automation allows these new devices not only to exert some form of material agency in the world, but also to propose themselves to humans as proper communicative partners, interacting with them and co-constructing meaning in a ‘natural way’. Our study investigated the relationships between humans and media-machines in natural settings, drawing on two cases of human-robot communication: the deployment of Pepper at the Bologna airport, and at Universit  Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – curated by the authors. The preliminary results show how the interaction with social robots, far from being ‘natural’, is actually prefigured and disciplined by the robot programming, configuration and scripts, and how humans are instructed to assume a defined – and limited – interactional role.
2022
Inglese
Homane Robotics. A Multidisciplinary Approach towards the Development of Humane-Centered Technologies
9788834346198
Vita e Pensiero Pubblic University:Largo Gemelli 1, I 20123 Milan Italy:011 39 02 72342310, 011 39 2 72342370, EMAIL: redazione.vp@unicatt.it, Fax: 011 39 02 72342974
Tosoni, S., Mascheroni, G., Colombo, F., A Media-Studies take on Social Robots as Media-Machines, in Riva, G. -. M. A. (ed.), Homane Robotics. A Multidisciplinary Approach towards the Development of Humane-Centered Technologies, Vita e Pensiero Pubblic University:Largo Gemelli 1, I 20123 Milan Italy:011 39 02 72342310, 011 39 2 72342370, EMAIL: redazione.vp@unicatt.it, Fax: 011 39 02 72342974, Milano 2022: 266- 285 [http://hdl.handle.net/10807/195683]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10807/195683
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