How to distinguish lifelike robots from humans

Can you imagine being in front of an android and a human and not able to identify which one is real? Mexican researcher David Silvera-Tawil discovered, after conducting a study in Australia, that exposure to Geminoids robots caused high anxiety and even fear in people.

The research was aided by Michael Garbutt of the University of New South Wales in Australia, and served to determine the behavior of humans interacting with Geminoids, named for their similarity to humans, close replicas of people that can operate remotely.

Aanother objective was to determine whether the robotics industry would profit from manufacturing androids despite generating uncertainty and anxiety in people or whether it is preferable to continue with the production of mechanical or humanoid robots that do not provoke anxious responses.

In the experiment, subject reactions were evaluated, as were their responses to specialized questionnaires, which revealed that Geminoids generate feelings of anxiety, nervousness and even fear, said Silvera-Tawil.

For the first part of the study, a female Geminoid (Actroid F) and a person were seated, both wearing the same outfit. The participant had five seconds to identify which one of the two was a real human.

The next part of the experiment was performed with only two humans sitting side by side, and about 50 percent of the participants said they could not confirm who the robot was and who the human was, said the researcher.

Professor Yoshio Matsumoto, from the National Institute of Advanced Science and Technology in Tokyo, provided the female Geminoid.

The Mexican researcher said that the investigation continues, and the next step is to study the long-term case and see whether a human being can get used to interacting with Geminoids and reduce their anxiety level.