Social Robotics in the Perspective of (Non)Anthropocentrism

Łukasz SAROWSKI

Department of Language, Rhetoric, and Media Law, Institute of Journalism and Management, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Al. Racławickie 14, Lublin, Poland , Poland

Małgorzata GRUCHOŁA

Katedra Komunikacji Wizualnej i Nowych Mediów, Instytut Dziennikarstwa i Zarządzania, Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, Al. Racławickie 14, 20-950 Lublin, Poland , Poland

Abstract

We currently witness a process of domesticating artificial intelligence in the form of, among others, the so-called humanoid companion robots; the process in question may lead to a kind of “socialization” of such robots. The purpose of the article was—through an analysis of the specialist literature and products of social robotics—to show that such domesticating makes us aware of the necessity to develop, considering anthropocentric principles, criteria and rules to regulate the functioning of robots in social life. Four dimensions of anthropocentrism (cognitive, ontological, methodological, and axiological) were analyzed in the context of the need to clarify ethical, social, and legal rules for the use of humanoid robots in society. The author applied analytical-descriptive and synthetic methods. The conclusions make it possible to partly confirm the research hypothesis, i.e., the claim that the process of domesticating AI technology in the form of humanoid robots implies the need for their “socialization” in all four dimensions of anthropocentrism. The literature analysis shows that the development of social robotics is changing the perception and ways of analysis of social phenomena in which robotic technologies play an increasingly important role. Robots perform social functions and tasks which have so far been the domain of humans. Although from an ontological perspective, the formal criteria of subjectivity for robots have not been developed and robots have not been granted legal subjectivity, the intensive development of robotic technologies, by changing the position of robots in society, favours informal and discretionary granting them subjectivity. It seems justifiable to say that granting legal subjectivity to humanoid robots will generate changes in all areas of anthropocentrism.

Keywords:

social robotics, artificial intelligence technology, criteria of anthropocentrism