Hiroki Sawada

Cybernetic Humanity Project
Project Researcher

What would it take for humans and robots to truly become friends?
Robots today are becoming increasingly capable of learning how to interact with humans in general. Yet they still struggle to understand individuals, build long-term relationships, and adapt their behaviour according to the person in front of them. For humans and robots to genuinely coexist in society, I believe robots mush be able to learn about each person through interaction and develop relationships that shape how they behave.

My research explores how robots can learn a person’s individuality – What makes that person who they are – through everyday interactions, and how they can adapt their manner of interaction as the relationship evolves. Through this research, I aim to help create a society in which robots move beyond being convenient machines and become social partners: supporting human life, participating in society, and perhaps even becoming friends with us.