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Study Shows Babies Think Friendly Robots Are Sentient

seanonymous writes "A study from University of Washington claims that babies think robots are human, so long as the robots are friendly. No word on what evil robots are thought to be. From the article: 'At 18 months old, babies have begun to make conscious delineations between sentient beings and inanimate objects. But as robots get more and more advanced, those decisions may become harder to make. What causes a baby to decide a robot is more than bits of metal? As it turns out, it takes more than humanoid looks — babies rely on social interaction to make that call.'"

2 of 159 comments (clear)

  1. Exactly by snspdaarf · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Their beliefs are based on limited experience. When I was little, I watched musicians doing a live radio show. For a while after that, I thought that all music on the radio was performed live. It's the same kind of thing.

    --
    Why, without your clothes, you're naked, Miss Dudley!
  2. Adults think their pets are human by blair1q · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Adults think their pets are human, and humans of different colors are animals. People are generally not a good source of judgment.