For the module Transformations in Digital Cultures, we were asked to conduct a small ethnographical research to investigate a specific technology and a community engaging with it. I decided to investigate the gendering of humanoid robots to find out how it might affect people’s current social understandings of gender.
As humanoid technologies become more and more sophisticated, they can bring certain soft impacts with them, such as gender bias and gender stereotypes, that might influence people’s understanding of gender. I decided to examine the ethical implications of gendering humanoid robots by interviewing a master student who has been active in the fields of robotics since high school. I also did an analysis on the website of WIRED (a magazine about new technologies, offered both in print and online) by observing the extent to which the topic of gender bias in humanoid robots was being discussed within this community.
Considering that robotic technologies are becoming more and more prominent in our society, I argue that it might be important to take the ethical consequences of gendering robots into a better account. Calling attention to the debate of gender bias in humanoid robots might potentially lead to a positive technomoral change into society, as roboticsists could challenge gender stereotypes by providing counter-stereotype products. This could, in turn, lead to a more open-minded morality of gender in societies and cultures all over the world.
2020-10-22
Dear Rebecca,
As I mentioned at the previous comment on your courses’ reflections, AI and robots are an interesting topic. In your paper, I can see how you successfully connected it to the gendering of humanoid robots and the ethical responsibilities that this entail. I will insist that a potential research question could refer to the gender-neutral design of AI, or even better to a counter gender stereotype design, as you argue. Verbeek’s Mediation Theory, apart from trying to explain the relationships that world-technology-people can create, he framed his theory in such terms as to enhance the design of technology.
Therefore, as you have already supported that regarding gendering robots the attention that designers pay on the ethical implications should be increased, you can further research the gendering of AI designs of technologies through the lens of Verbeek’s Mediation Theory. What relations do these technologies create with users’ and their world, and how these findings can be used to lead us to more counter-stereotype products?
Best,
Katerina.
Dear Rebecca,
It is nice to know that you are interested in robot gender, it is a great way to discuss gender topics in this field. Also, robot topics are easily explained by the concepts we learned from both courses. Like technomoral change to gender understanding brought up by the stereotype in female robots, and how the understanding is enhanced by it; also how robots simulate the relationships between humans, how different gender robots gain our trust in terms of their social functions. Do they deserve to have personalities in different genders?
It just reminds me of a video game called Detroit: Becoming human, it is a story about how robots become the second class of human and how their functions in human society changed, also, different robots aim at different functions in society, but as they experienced more and work more, they all have their own ability to change their purpose of serving humans. I also think these are good perspectives to discuss robot issues more deeply.
Best wishes,
Jingwen