Robot or human? Consumer responses to humanoid robots

Robot or human? Consumer responses to humanoid robots 

Abstract

Humanoid robots look and act more and more like humans. Consumers can already interact with humanoid robots as salespeople, social companions, and even intimate partners. Soon, these robots may be indistinguishable from human beings. In this presentation, I explore how consumers might respond to these robots and how they are likely to shape consumer behavior and consumer society in the coming decades. I introduce the construct of anti-robot speciesism—a tendency to treat robots as fundamentally different from humans, even when humans and robots are indistinguishable from each other in appearance and behavior in consumer relevant settings. Several studies test hypotheses related to anti-robot speciesism. Together, these studies illustrate how speciesism is deeply entrenched in human psychology and likely to shape consumer behavior in the time of humanoid robots.

More information on Prof. Bernd Schmitt can be found here.

The talk will take place from 12:15-13:30 hrs. in RuW 1.201 and via Zoom.