Improving evaluations of advanced robots by depicting them in harmful situations

Equipping robots with sophisticated mental abilities can result in reduced likeability (uncanny valley of mind). Other work shows that exposing robots to harm increases empathy and likeability. Connecting both lines of research, we hypothesized that eliciting empathy could mitigate or even reverse the negative response to robots with mind. In two online experiments, we manipulated the attributes of a robot (with or without mind) and presented the robot in situations in which it was either exposed to harm or not. Perceived empathy for the robot and robot likeability served as dependent variables. Experiment 1 (N = 559) used text vignettes to manipulate robot mind and a video that involved either physical harm or no harm to the machine. In a second experiment (N = 396), both experimental factors were manipulated via the shown video. Across both experiments, we observed a significant indirect effect of presenting the robot in a harmful situation on likeability, with empathy serving as a mediating variable. Moreover, a residual negative influence of showing the robot in a harmful situation was detected. We conclude that the uncanny valley of mind observed in our studies could be based on the robot's human-like imperfection, rather than descriptions of its supposed mind. •Robots with mind evoked aversion in prior studies (uncanny valley of mind).•Two online experiments were conducted, testing human empathy as a countermeasure.•A robot shown in a harmful situation elicited higher empathy.•An indirect effect of the situation on likeability, via empathy, was observed.•A negative residual effect of showing the robot in a harmful situation emerged.