The robots that share our public areas immediately are so demure. Social robots and repair robots goal to keep away from offense, erring towards well mannered airs, optimistic feelings, and obedience. In some methods, this is sensible—would you actually need to have a yelling match with a supply robotic in a lodge? In all probability not, even for those who’re in New York Metropolis and attempting to soak up the native tradition.
In different methods, this passive social robotic design aligns with paternalistic requirements that hyperlink help to subservience. Thoughtlessly following such outdated social norms in robotic design could also be ill-advised, because it may help to strengthen outdated or dangerous concepts resembling proscribing folks’s rights and reflecting solely the wants of majority-identity customers.
In my robotics lab at Oregon State College, we work with a playful spirit and luxuriate in difficult the problematic norms which might be entrenched inside “well mannered” interactions and social roles. So we determined to experiment with robots that use foul language round people. In any case, many individuals are utilizing foul language greater than ever in 2025. Why not let robots have an opportunity, too?
Why and How one can Research Cursing Robots
Societal requirements in the US recommend that cursing robots would possible rub folks the flawed approach in most contexts, as swearing has a predominantly adverse connotation. Though some previous analysis reveals that cursing can improve crew cohesion and elicit humor, sure members of society (resembling girls) are sometimes anticipated to keep away from risking offense by profanity. We questioned whether or not cursing robots can be considered negatively, or if they may maybe supply advantages in sure conditions.
We determined to check cursing robots within the context of responding to errors. Previous work in human-robot interplay has already proven that responding to error (fairly than ignoring it) may help robots be perceived extra positively in human-populated areas, particularly within the case of private and repair robots. And one research discovered that in comparison with different fake pas, foul language is extra forgivable in a robotic.
With this previous work in thoughts, we generated movies with three widespread sorts of robotic failure: bumping right into a desk, dropping an object, and failing to know an object. We crossed these conditions with three sorts of responses from the robotic: no verbal response, a non-expletive verbal declaration, and an expletive verbal declaration. We then requested folks to fee the robots on issues like competence, discomfort, and likability, utilizing commonplace scales in a web based survey.
What If Robots Cursed? These Movies Helped Us Be taught How Folks Really feel about Profane RobotsVideo: Naomi Fitter
What Folks Considered Our Cursing Robots
On the entire, we have been shocked by how acceptable swearing appeared to the research individuals, particularly inside an preliminary group of Oregon State College college students, however even among the many common public as nicely. Cursing had no adverse impression, and even some optimistic impacts, among the many faculty college students after we eliminated one religiously connotated curse (god***it), which appeared to be obtained in a stronger adverse approach than different cuss phrases.
In truth, college individuals rated swearing robots because the most socially shut and most humorous, and rated non-expletive and expletive robotic reactions equal on social heat, competence, discomfort, anthropomorphism, and likability scales. Most people judged non-profane and profane robots as equal on most scales, though expletive reactions have been deemed most discomforting and non-expletive responses appeared most likable. We consider that the college college students have been barely extra accepting of cursing robots due to the campus’s progressive tradition, the place cursing is taken into account a peccadillo.
Since experiments run solely in a web based setting don’t all the time symbolize real-life interactions nicely, we additionally carried out a last replication research in particular person with a robotic that made errors whereas distributing goodie luggage to campus group members at Oregon State, which bolstered our prior outcomes.
People React to a Cursing Robotic within the WildVideo: Naomi Fitter
We now have submitted this work, which represents a well-designed sequence of empirical experiments with fascinating outcomes and replications alongside the way in which, to a number of totally different journals and conferences. Regardless of persistently enthusiastic reviewer feedback, no editors have but accepted our work for publication—it appears to be the kind of paper that editors are nervous to the touch. At the moment, the work is below evaluate for a fourth time, for potential inclusion within the 2025 IEEE Worldwide Convention on Robotic and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN), in a paper titled “Oh F**ok! How Do Folks Really feel About Robots That Leverage Profanity?”
Give Cursing Robots a Probability
Based mostly on our outcomes, we expect cursing robots deserve an opportunity! Our findings present that swearing robots would usually have little draw back and a few upside, particularly in open-minded areas resembling college campuses. Even for most of the people, reactions to errors with profanity yielded a lot much less distaste than we anticipated. Our information confirmed that folks cared extra about whether or not robots acknowledged their error in any respect than whether or not or not they swore.
Folks do have some reservations about cursing robots, particularly with regards to consolation and likability, so thoughtfulness could also be required to use curse phrases on the proper time. For instance, simply as people do, robots ought to possible maintain again their swear phrases round kids and be extra cautious in settings that usually demand cleaner language. Robotic practitioners may additionally think about surveying particular person customers about profanity acceptance as they arrange new know-how in private settings—fairly than letting robotic methods study the onerous approach, maybe alienating customers within the course of.
As extra robots enter our day-to-day areas, they’re certain to make errors. How they react to those errors is vital. Essentially, our work reveals that folks desire robots that discover when a mistake has occurred and react to this error in a relatable approach. And evidently a variety of types within the response itself, from the profane to the mundane, can work nicely. So we invite designers to provide cursing robots an opportunity!
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