It is believed that Japan is experiencing a surge of love for humanoid robots, that is, androids. This love seems so strong that it is ready to forgive flaws and shortcomings, to endow robots with features that are not inherent in them. Even a little creepy. You probably thought: so what? Here's what: Japan's fascination with "creepy" robots points us to a possible future - not just for Japan, but for the whole world, including the place where you live now.
Welcome to the valley
The definition of what constitutes a creepy robot takes us straight to Japan.
First of all, it is worth touching on the concept of the "sinister valley", which was first mentioned by Japanese professor of robotics Masahiro Mori in 1970. It concerns the relationship between how human-like actions are performed by a robot and how we see them.
The more a robot looks like a human, the more positively we react - until they act and look exactly like us. Then our level of empathy and acceptance drops and gives way to disgust. As robots become even more human, our acceptance and empathy are rapidly rising again.
This failure is the ominous valley.
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In other words, we feel sympathy and empathy for the robot dog Aibo, and even more for the robots Pepper and ASIMO, until we are faced with a completely humanoid android, among which are the most advanced robots today. And this is where the fun begins. It seems that there is no clear answer to the question of which robots live in the ominous valley. As well as what Japanese robots differ from those living in other countries.
Japan plunged into the valley a long time ago
To understand what is at stake, just look at several modern examples of robots in Japan. One of them is Toshiba's Aiko Chihira, who works as a receptionist in Tokyo department stores.
Another example comes from Dr. Yoshio Matsumoto and his team at AIST. They conducted a test by placing Actroid F twins in the doctor's office to support patients during consultations. The result was that patients generally felt that their doctor was more sympathetic and understood better what they were saying, and generally felt less anxious when the android was in the room with them.
Japan has long loved robots
If you live outside of Japan, you probably find the robots above a bit creepy. One of the reasons for the difference in reactions may be cultural and religious differences between Japan and the West. Photographer Louise Whitton explored the world of Japanese robots in her project 'What About the Heart?'
As part of the project, she spoke with several Japanese robotics specialists about how robots are viewed in their country. Professor Minoru Asada from Osaka University replied as follows:
“In Buddhism or animism, everything has a spiritual aspect, even machines. Machines are not built to fight. We see partners or family members in cars. Therefore, we have no intention of creating like God. We just don't think so. We are thinking about how to create a partner."
In a 1982 article in The New York Times, Henry Scott Stokes summed it up beautifully in the real life of the Japanese. He described that new industrial robots in Japan are often first consecrated by Shinto priests, followed by a burst of applause from employees welcoming the "new member" of the team. Typically, Stokes wrote, workers greeted the robots at the start of the day by saying “ohayo gozaimasu” (good morning).
Imagine a scenario like this in 1982 at a GM or Ford car factory. It's funny.
These differences are reflected in today's media as well. Post-war Japan got to know androids through Star Boy, a small and useful robot boy. The Western world received the Terminator in the person of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Science needs answers
What does science say about Japanese love for robots - even creepy ones? While the study of Sinister Valley has only gained momentum in recent years, the effect of culture and nationality on human perception of robots has remained relatively intact.
At the same time, there is no clear scientific understanding of which robots belong to the evil valley and which are not. Research on this topic has come to different conclusions. Some say that culture is very influential and that the Japanese have more sympathy for robots than most people.
Others point out that the Japanese actually have no more affection for robots than anyone else. Where these studies converge is that communication with robots plays a big role in how people perceive them, and that the Japanese are ahead of the rest in this regard.
Talking to robots is addictive
Constant communication with robots is one of the pieces of the puzzle why the Japanese generally accept robots, even creepy ones, more easily. People living in Tokyo encounter robots all the time - not to mention other types of automated systems. It is safe to say that Japan encounters robots more often than people in other countries.
While it is not known whether robots are viewed more positively there, the fact remains that Japan is deploying robots for a variety of tasks. This initiative, in fact, will help revitalize the Japanese economy - so the government believes.
Robots are used in healthcare and elderly care. It is noteworthy that older people, not wanting to distract staff, sometimes happily talk to robots.
Professor Asada summarizes this trend:
“I think that in Western countries, older people do not like to let cars into their lives. For example, many years ago Panasonic developed a pet-shaped robot to measure the temperature of the elderly. The reaction of the people of the Western world was this: we do not want to be measured by machines, get out! Japanese oldies would say, oh, very cute. The Japanese society accepts robots more easily as they age."
Japan today, peace tomorrow
Japan is aging rapidly, but the same is true for many parts of the rest of the world. The phrase "the burden of old age" applies exactly as much to most politicians as the word "bubble" applies to Silicon Valley investors. The shortage of workers will hit many countries in the coming years, affecting many segments, including health and care for the elderly.
In many cases, the reaction can be simple: throw away when an elderly person is faced with the prospect of a robot caring for him, or interacting with a machine to some extent. But gradually this threshold should decrease, and with it the threshold for the robot to enter the ominous valley.
Because if the ominous valley depends on historical and cultural phenomena, then everything passes. History and culture are changing. We start to encounter more and more robots. In the end, we'll all be there.
In addition, the Japanese are integrating robots into many areas in which different cultures would not like to see them. But with success in Japan itself, people around the world can follow the example of the Japanese. It turns out that love and dislike for robots is just a matter of time. Having stayed with them for a longer time, you understand that they are not so creepy.
ILYA KHEL
