AI education researcher Randi Williams has spent years studying how kids interact with technology and toys, and what she's found should make every parent stop and think. She reveals how, as tech compa...

Background: Socially assistive robots are increasingly explored in health care, but evidence from routine pediatric outpatient settings remains limited. Objective: This study examined how contextual support and human facilitation shaped visitor interaction with the Temi V3 robot and which sociotechnical conditions were associated with practical acceptance according to staff. Methods: A mixed methods pilot combined structured behavioral observation across baseline, poster support, and staff facilitation conditions with 4 staff focus group interviews. The observation unit was a visitor passage through the lobby zone; the qualitative sample comprised 12 staff members with direct exposure to the robot. Quantitative indicators were analyzed descriptively, and staff interviews underwent deductive-inductive qualitative content analysis. Results: In total, 675 visitor passages (children: n=398, 59% and adults: n=277, 41%) were recorded (baseline: n=257; poster support: n=160; and staff facilitation: n=258). Looking at the robot increased from 8 (3.1%) passages at baseline to 30 (18.8%) with poster support and 80 (31%) with staff facilitation. Screen or app use increased from 2 (0.8%) passages at baseline to 4 (2.5%) with poster support and 14 (5.4%) with staff facilitation. Observer notes indicated stronger visible responsiveness among children, although age category was not linked to individual behavior codes. Staff emphasized role clarity, child and family value, human mediation, functional reliability, multilingual content, and organizational ownership. Conclusions: Observed visitor interaction was higher with poster support and staff facilitation than at baseline. These descriptive findings and staff perceptions informed a provisional 4-domain framework comprising role clarity, interaction affordance, social mediation, and organizational embedding. The framework identifies potential implementation priorities; visitors’ own experiences and acceptance require direct assessment.

Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines : Turkle, Sherry: Amazon.es: Libros

Richtech Robotics, a company founded by Kevin Frade, is revolutionizing the field of human-robot interaction with its cutting-edge, embodied AI technology. The company’s focus on…

A recent extension of the Computers-Are-Social-Actors (CASA) paradigm, known as the Media-Are-Social-Actors (MASA) paradigm, suggests that social cues displayed by media agents may elicit social re...