Chapitre 14. Relation émotionnelle entre humains et robots : Quelle éthique ?

Laurence Devillers tackles what is called "emotional robotics", which is part of the relationship between humans and robots. She begins by recalling the advances, brought by psychology and neuroscience, on the understanding of emotions, their role, their relationship with consciousness; she also returns to this latter concept, its different definitions and components. She then recalls the course of AI from the point of view of her subject, namely the integration of machines in society, the more and more frequent use of these machines by individuals, the work concerning the detection of individual emotions by machines and their simulation in return, within the framework of these interactions. She finally wonders about the benefits and risks of all these advances. Providing robots with emotional simulation or interpretation skills is particularly achieved in the health field. They can then provide invaluable assistance: playing with sick children, monitoring hospitalized people, intervention in the event of depression or autism, diagnostic assistance, etc. But on the other hand, “robots also carry significant risks of isolation, dehumanization and manipulation of humans”. Human-machine co-adaptation is spreading quickly but requires reflection as the possibility of being manipulated by these devices is great. Laurence Devillers therefore encourages vigilance and assures that this co-adaptation “should in the long term be an important research and monitoring axis in the coming years”