Prompt Cast
Exploring the Uncanny Valley: Why Robots That Look Almost Human Can Give People the Creeps
TLDR The concept of the Uncanny Valley, where robots that look almost human but not quite right can give people the creeps, was first explored by Masahiro Mori. Research has shown that the Uncanny Valley phenomenon is not limited to Western cultures, and certain types of people, such as religious and neurotic individuals, are more sensitive to the uncanny valley.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
In this episode, the hosts discuss the concept of the Uncanny Valley, where robots that look almost human but not quite right can give people the creeps.
06:15
The concept of the Uncanny Valley, where robots that look almost human but not quite right can give people the creeps, was first explored by Masahiro Mori, who created a graph that shows a dip in affinity when a robot's human likeness reaches a certain point.
12:12
The concept of the Uncanny Valley is characterized by a drop in affinity when a robot or animated character's human likeness becomes too realistic, and this dip is even more pronounced when the object in question is animate rather than inanimate, as seen in the case of lifelike androids and zombies.
18:04
Research has shown that the Uncanny Valley phenomenon is not limited to Western cultures, as tribes in Cambodia also exhibit sensitivities to human-like but not quite human objects, with the eyes being a key factor in determining whether something appears human or not.
24:14
Research has shown that the eyes and upper facial features, such as brows and wrinkles, are key factors in determining whether something appears human or not and triggers the uncanny valley phenomenon, and certain types of people, such as religious and neurotic individuals, are more sensitive to the uncanny valley.
30:17
Studies have shown that the uncanny valley phenomenon is real, with dips in attractiveness or repulsiveness occurring at certain points, and there are real world implications for robot designers who want to create life-like looking robots that won't creep people out.
36:25
Pixar learned from their mistake of making a realistic-looking character and instead created exaggerated features in their films, while other movies like Final Fantasy and The Polar Express fell into the Uncanny Valley and received negative reviews for their creepy characters.
42:27
In the movie Rogue One, the character Grand Moth Tarkin was brought back to life using CGI, but the filmmakers showed too much of him and it fell into the uncanny valley, causing discomfort for viewers and potentially for the family of the deceased actor.
47:52
Mori's theory that robots should be exaggerated and non-human like in order to avoid the uncanny valley is supported by the creation of the robot Asimo, which was created by one of Mori's students and is cute and humanoid but not too realistic.
54:20
The theories on creepiness include pathogen avoidance, non-verbal mimicry, violation of expectation, and mortality salience, and the experience of creepiness is subjective and can vary from person to person.
01:00:09
Physical characteristics and behaviors that are stereotypically linked to creepy people, such as bulging eyes and persistently steering conversations towards sexual topics, can contribute to someone being perceived as creepy, but it is the combination of these traits with other creepy behaviors that truly makes someone creepy.
01:06:18
The "category ambiguity theory" suggests that people find things creepy when they cannot easily categorize them, even if they are not necessarily threatening.
01:11:58
The Choctaw tribe donated money to Ireland during the Great Famine and the bond between the two groups continues to this day.
Categories:
Society & Culture
