Human-Robot Interaction

This is the human-robot interactin podcast series in which we explore the relationship between humans and robots.

Episodes

The Case For Rude Robots

October 28, 2025 • 43 mins

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

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Thesis for sale

December 1, 2024 • 40 mins

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

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Where Are The Robots We Were Promised?

November 17, 2024 • 40 mins

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

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The One About Ethics

October 31, 2024 • 38 mins

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

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Puffery, Bullshit and Lies

October 15, 2024 • 79 mins

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

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Humanoidization: Costs, Demand, and the Future of Work

October 6, 2024 • 26 mins

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

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The New Humanoids

July 4, 2024 • 27 mins

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

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After the hype: what can AI really do for human-robot interaction?

May 8, 2024 • 41 mins

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

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Peer Review Review

January 23, 2024 • 21 mins

The limits of the peer review process

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Should you use chatGPT?

October 9, 2023 • 2 mins

Should you use chatGPT for podcasting? I asked chatGPT this question and used Descript’s Overdub feature to voice the response. Generating this episode was quicker than any other I ever created. Is it any good? Probably not. Still, it shows how quickly it is possible to generate superficial content. This might be useful for enabling … Continue reading

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Human-Robot Interaction

Episodes

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Where Are The Robots We Were Promised?

The One About Ethics

Puffery, Bullshit and Lies

Humanoidization: Costs, Demand, and the Future of Work

The New Humanoids

After the hype: what can AI really do for human-robot interaction?

Peer Review Review

Should you use chatGPT?

Popular Podcasts

The Case For Rude Robots

Thesis for sale