Brussels Talk n°5 : The phenomenon of attachment to "social" robots - A call for vigilance among the scientific research community

This event, organized by the CNRS Brussels Office in collaboration with the CNRS Ethics Committee (COMETS), will delve into the critical topic of human attachment to social robots. As these technologies become increasingly prevalent in our society, it is crucial to understand the potential risks of emotional dependence, manipulation, and de-socialization they may create. The event will feature a presentation of COMETS' new opinion on this subject, followed by a panel discussion including academics in the field of robotics and ethics, as well as representatives from the European Commission. This group of experts will examine the ethical implications of social robots and discuss guidelines for the development and use of these technologies.

Programme :

12:00-13:15 : Welcome Lunch at Maison Irène et Frédéric Joliot-Curie

13:15-13:25 : Presentation of the CNRS, Jean-Stéphane Dhersin, Director of the CNRS Brussels Office

13:25-13:40 : Presentation of COMETS Opinion n°46 : “The phenomenon fo attachment to “social robots”. A call for vigilance among the scientific research community”
- Patrice Debré, Professor of Immunology at Université Pierre et Marie Curie and Member of Académie de Médecine (confirmed)
- Catherine Pélachaud, CNRS Research Director at the Institute of Intelligent Systems and Robotics (confirmed)

13:40-14:20 : Roundtable: ‘Ethics and robotics: the ethical issues raised by social robots’
- Catherine Pélachaud, CNRS Research Director at the Institute of Intelligent Systems andRobotics (confirmed)
- Patrice Debré, Professor of Immunology at Université Pierre et Marie Curie and Member of Académie de Médecine (confirmed)
- Mihalis Kritikos, Policy Analyst on AI Ethics and Trustworthy Governance of AI, Research Ethics and Integrity Sector, DG RTD (confirmed)
- Katleen Gabriels, Associate Professor at Maastricht University (FASoS, Department of Philosophy), philosopher of technology, specialised in computer and machine ethics (confirmed)
- Guillaume Chaslot, Scientific Project Officer at the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT) of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), focusing on evaluation of trustworthy AI within the HUMAINT team (confirmed).
- Christophe Lazaro, Professor of Law and Philosophy at UCLouvain's Centre for Philosophy of Law. Interdisciplinary researcher on the social and legal impact of new technologies (prosthetics, robotics, AI) on human activity and subjectivity (TBC)

Moderator : Pascal Dayez-Burgeon, COMETS Secretary General

14:20-14:50 : Q&A

14:50-15:30 : Networking Coffee

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