{"id":31964,"date":"2019-12-25T15:38:51","date_gmt":"2019-12-25T20:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?post_type=emagazine&#038;p=31964"},"modified":"2022-08-08T04:48:11","modified_gmt":"2022-08-08T08:48:11","slug":"social-robots","status":"publish","type":"emagazine","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/social-robots\/31964\/","title":{"rendered":"Can social robots help us live better lives?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>C3PO, the Iron Giant\u2026 even The Terminator. We\u2019ve been watching robots interact with humans in movies for years, but for many of us, that\u2019s all it\u2019s been: a futuristic dream. Now, after years of promises, prototypes and teasers, the era of social robots is finally here. But what are they? And how do they differ from the robots of today?<\/p>\n<h2>Social robots are bred for interaction<\/h2>\n<p>Robots are nothing new. They help in factories and warehouses, typically in highly structured environments with limited interactions with humans. And we\u2019re grateful for that. Social robots, however, are designed to interact with us and show social behaviors. I\u2019ll let <a href=\"https:\/\/www.softbankrobotics.com\/emea\/en\/index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">SoftBank\u2019s<\/a> Pepper introduce itself.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" type=\"text\/html\" width=\"640\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lqlyxg1-gE0?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;wmode=transparent\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) mean robotics designers and manufacturers now have the power to translate psychological and neurological insights into algorithms. These allow robots to recognize voices, faces and emotions, as well as speak, make eye contact and a host of other things that humans do with each other. There you have it: a social robot.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re a step up from droids and warehouse robots whose sole functions are task-based, and they\u2019re going to revolutionize how we live our lives. There are already 15,000 Pepper robots worldwide that are helping to check people into hotels and take customer orders at restaurants (amongst other things). But with the addition of Temi and Loomo \u2013 next-generation personal assistants, think Amazon Echo with legs \u2013 our social spheres might soon contain a bot or two.<\/p>\n<h2>Social robots can benefit society<\/h2>\n<p>We\u2019re already seen the impact of robotics in industries like manufacturing, government and retail. But these machines don\u2019t have the social capacity that this new wave of robots do. Here are a few of the latter\u2019s uses in business and society.<\/p>\n<h3>Efficient eateries<\/h3>\n<p>Tokyo\u2019s bustling Shibuya district + tech giant SoftBank = a restaurant staffed entirely by Pepper robots. Yep, it\u2019s the Pepper Parlor Caf\u00e9, where a group of social robots greet customers, chat with them and serve them. And there are plans for expansion. SoftBank is developing Nao and Whiz: the former will be on table dancing duties; the latter will clean the place until it\u2019s spotless.<\/p>\n<h3>But how practical is it? You decide.<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" type=\"text\/html\" width=\"640\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-U3Dhw5QiU4?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;wmode=transparent\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Hotels for the human-phobic<\/h3>\n<p>Keen to have as little human contact as possible? The Henn-na is the place for you \u2013 you won\u2019t find a human in the gaff. Owner Hideo Sawada said the hotel, which is part of an amusement park in the Nagasaki prefecture, was built to highlight innovation. It\u2019s staffed entirely by robots, who check customers in, take luggage to their rooms and make the beds. It\u2019s \u2018manned\u2019 by an English-speaking dinosaur and a Japanese-speaking female bot. Take a look for yourself.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" type=\"text\/html\" width=\"640\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HiS_NPcz5rc?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;wmode=transparent\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Social robots against loneliness<\/h3>\n<p>Perhaps one of the most poignant uses in today\u2019s world. For many elderly and not so elderly, loneliness is a growing problem. In the UK, around 10 percent of Brits feel isolated, with London appointing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/pm-launches-governments-first-loneliness-strategy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Minister for Loneliness in 2018<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Social robots have particular appeal for assisting the world\u2019s growing elderly population. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.parorobots.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">The PARO Therapeutic Robot<\/a>, developed by Japan\u2019s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, which looks like a cuddly seal, is meant to reduce stress for patients in care facilities. Take a look for yourself.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" type=\"text\/html\" width=\"640\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/g9wj5v22KsA?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;wmode=transparent\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Then you have <a href=\"https:\/\/robots.ieee.org\/robots\/mabu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Mabu<\/a> (Catalia Health). This social robot is more of a wellness aide, reminding the elderly to take walks and medication and to call family members.<\/p>\n<p>Robotic companions won\u2019t replace human interaction, but for many, these friendly jumbles of metal, plastic and synthetic fur could be extremely helpful.<\/p>\n<h3>Social robots in space<\/h3>\n<p>Space, I would imagine, is a lonely and potentially stressful place for an astronaut, which is why the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.redbull.com\/gb-en\/cimon-iss-ai-robot-assistant\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Crew Interactive Mobile Companion (CIMON) was invented<\/a>. In 2018, it flew to an international space station alongside a lucky bunch of astronauts. In the process, it became the first-ever autonomous free-floating robot at the station and the first-ever smart astronaut assistant. But what does it do? Developed by IBM, the German Aerospace Center and Airbus, CIMON serves several functions, from helping to find information and keeping track of tasks astronauts are doing on board to potentially assisting the teams in bonding.<\/p>\n<p>Now, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/cimon-2-artificial-intelligence-robot-space-station.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CIMON-2 has burst onto the scene<\/a>, promising to be the next step for social robots. According to its manufacturers, it has better hardware and software, notably the introduction of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibm.com\/watson\/services\/tone-analyzer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">IBM Watson Tone Analyzer<\/a>. This means CIMON-2 can understand and analyze the conversations of astronauts to see how they\u2019re feeling \u2013 if they\u2019re feeling joyful, or if something makes them angry, and so on. Here it is in action.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" type=\"text\/html\" width=\"640\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HE0LQ2y_-Pk?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;wmode=transparent\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>But as with any new technology, the risks are fresh and need addressing before social robots reach peak uptake. As Dmitry Galov believes:<\/p><blockquote><p>Cognitive computing and artificial intelligence mean manufacturers can create complicated cyber-physical systems for various purposes. The security of robotic products, including social robots, is imperative for the next generation. Many experiments are underway, but security is not always at the core. When prototypes turn commercial, manufacturers are responsible for protecting their customers.<\/p>\n<cite><p><strong>Dmitry Galov<\/strong><\/p><p>Security Researcher, Kaspersky<\/p><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Risks of social robots<\/h2>\n<p>As with all AI-powered technologies, cybersecurity is a considerable risk; recent research by the University of Ghent and Kaspersky found no different. Although the specifics of their findings may surprise some, first things first, let\u2019s tuck into this.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" type=\"text\/html\" width=\"640\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/i58ZPRIzKsk?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;wmode=transparent\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The researchers found a new and unexpected dimension of risk associated with robotics: social impact. The research focused on the effects of a specific social robot designed to interact with humans, which they placed in two different scenarios.<\/p>\n<h3>Robots in not-so-safe spaces<\/h3>\n<p>In the first part of the study, the robot was placed near a secure entrance of a building in the center of Ghent. It asked staff if it could follow them through the door. (For context, usually, this area could only be accessed by certain personnel.) Not all staff complied with the robot\u2019s request, but 40 percent did unlock the door and keep it open for the robot to waltz in. Hhhmmm. Worse so, when they positioned the robot as a pizza delivery person, staff were less inclined to question why it needed access to the secure area.<\/p>\n<h3>Interrogation bots<\/h3>\n<p>The second part of the study focused on how easily the robot could get sensitive information typically used to reset passwords (like your dog\u2019s name). Alarmingly, with all but one participant, the robot managed to rack up personal data at the rate of one item per minute. Which goes to show, as your mother said, you shouldn\u2019t share secrets with strange robots you don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n<p>Well, there you have it: social robots. Whether their impact will be positive or negative remains to be seen, but we do know that they\u2019re numbers are set to grow. Worldwide sales of consumer robots are expected to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/social-robots-play-nicely-with-others\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">grow to $19bn by the end of 2025<\/a> (from an estimated $5.6bn in 2018).<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re working in retail, healthcare or even space travel, social robots could help your business to innovate and reach the next level. But as with all new technologies, it\u2019s essential to invest heavily in making them secure and safe for public consumption.<\/p>\n<p>The real question is, could you see yourself living with one? (Who could say no to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=O0eNRrTxK60&amp;feature=emb_title\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">this face?)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Social robots will greet us, support us in old age, and may even make us laugh. But what exactly are they? And how can we keep them secure?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2520,"featured_media":31965,"template":"","coauthors":[3424],"class_list":{"0":"post-31964","1":"emagazine","2":"type-emagazine","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"emagazine-category-future-tech","7":"emagazine-category-small-business","8":"emagazine-category-tech-for-good","9":"emagazine-tag-ai","10":"emagazine-tag-robots","11":"emagazine-tag-social-robots"},"hreflang":[{"hreflang":"x-default","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/secure-futures-magazine\/social-robots\/31964\/"}],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/emagazine\/31964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/emagazine"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/emagazine"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2520"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=31964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}