How Humans Perceive Relationships With Embodied Artificial Agents: A Naturalistic Field Study of Human–Robot Relations

Barcelona, Spain · May 2026

Integrative Science Symposia (ISS) Flash Talks · Self-Consciousness, Embodiment, and Social Interactions in Humans and Artificial Agents

Ritsuko Iwai
RIKEN Information R&D and Strategy Headquarters
Yusuke Takahashi
Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University
Takatsune Kumada
RIKEN
Takatsune Kumada
Kyoto University

Abstract

How do interactions with embodied artificial agents (EAA; AI-powered robots) relate to people’s relational perceptions of them? At Expo 2025, visitors (N=619) interacted with three autonomous robots representing emotional, physical, conversational modalities. Brief interactions were associated with changes in relational perceptions, highlighting EAA’s relevance for psychological science.

← ISS FLASH TALKS: Self-Consciousness, Embodiment, and Social Interactions Humans and Artificial Agents

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How Humans Perceive Relationships With Embodied Artificial Agents: A Naturalistic Field Study of Human–Robot Relations

Abstract

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