ROBOPHILOSOPHY

October 27, 2026October 27, 2026

The Morality Menu as a Model for Siri?

In the summer of 2026, Apple introduced a feature for Siri that allows users to adjust the voice’s speaking pace and expressivity using sliders. This makes it possible, at least to some extent, to influence how humanlike the voice assistant sounds. This development is reminiscent of work that Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel and his students have been carrying out since 2018 as part of the morality menu (MOME). The morality menu allows users to individually configure ethically relevant characteristics and behaviors of physical robots and virtual assistants, such as chatbots and voice assistants. The machine ethics approach became particularly well known through a 2018 design study for the LADYBIRD robot vacuum cleaner (design study in 2014, prototype in 2017) and a 2022 prototype for the Lio care robot developed by F&P Robotics. Also in 2018, a design study was created for a MOME for virtual assistants such as Google Duplex, featuring a slider that allowed users to specify whether the assistant should speak with a humanlike or a machine-like voice. A morality menu (2020) was also implemented for the MOBO chatbot. Some of the configuration options can be traced back to earlier projects such as GOODBOT from 2013, which repeatedly reminded users during conversations that it was merely a machine. The results of this work were presented at conferences such as Robophilosophy and ICSR, as well as in academic articles and books on machine ethics. As early as 2012, Oliver Bendel had examined Apple’s voice assistant from linguistic and ethical perspectives in his article “Siri ist hier.” on mediensprache.net. Referring to Joseph Weizenbaum and ELIZA, he discussed the anthropomorphization of computer systems and the possibility of emotional relationships between humans and machines. He also explicitly identified Siri as a subject of machine ethics. The subsequent work on the morality menu builds on these questions and extends them by introducing concrete design options. While Apple’s new feature primarily allows users to adapt voice output to their individual preferences, the morality menu takes a broader approach: Users should be able to decide for themselves how artificial systems behave toward them or others and to what extent they imitate human characteristics. This is particularly important in view of the anthropomorphization of AI systems. A deliberately machine-like voice or repeated reminders of a system’s artificial nature can help reduce the illusion of sentience and consciousness. The new Siri feature demonstrates that design options that have been explored in machine ethics for years are now also gaining importance in commercial voice assistants.

October 27, 2026October 27, 2026

On Queer Sex Robots

The article “Who Queered the Sex Robot? Notes on Attribution and Conceptual History” by Oliver Bendel, published in Philosophy & Technology on June 10, 2026, is now available Open Access and can be read and downloaded free of charge. An article titled “Queering Sex Robots Beyond Diversifying Design? Insights from Queer Lacanian Psychoanalysis and New Materialism” by Maaike van der Horst and Anna Puzio was published in the journal Philosophy & Technology in March 2026. Surprisingly, it does not reference several works that are highly relevant to the topic, including publications by Tanja Kubes and Oliver Bendel. As a result, some of the article’s claims to originality appear less convincing than they might otherwise have been. Following an exchange with one of the journal’s editors, Luciano Floridi, Oliver Bendel therefore submitted a commentary, which was published in Philosophy & Technology on June 10, 2026. From the abstract: “This commentary discusses Maaike van der Horst and Anna Puzio’s article ‘Queering Sex Robots Beyond Diversifying Design? Insights from Queer Lacanian Psychoanalysis and New Materialism’. While acknowledging the article’s valuable contribution, particularly its integration of Queer Lacanian Psychoanalysis and New Materialism, the commentary argues that its account of prior scholarship is incomplete. Several key themes and proposals presented as novel – including critiques of humanoid mimicry, new-materialist approaches to sexuality and technology, queer design concepts, relational ontology, and transformative sex robot forms – had already been developed in earlier work by Tanja Kubes and Oliver Bendel. The omission of these contributions affects assessments of originality, the reconstruction of the field’s intellectual development, and the allocation of scholarly credit. The commentary therefore calls for a more comprehensive scholarly genealogy of queer and new-materialist approaches to sex robots and argues that careful citation practices are essential to maintaining the integrity of academic discourse.” The article “Who Queered the Sex Robot? Notes on Attribution and Conceptual History” can be accessed at link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13347-026-01123-3.

October 23, 2026October 23, 2026

Rehkitzrettung Schweiz at ACI 2026

The thirteenth edition of the Animal-Computer Interaction International Conference (ACI 2026) will take place from December 2 to 5, 2026, at the FHNW Campus Brugg-Windisch in Switzerland. Hosted by the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), with Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel serving as General Chair, the conference will be the first ACI conference held in continental Europe. One of this year’s highlights will be the participation of Rehkitzrettung Schweiz, which will present its work in a talk and a live demonstration. Rehkitzrettung Schweiz has saved many thousands of young deer from injury and death across Switzerland. The organization uses drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras to locate fawns hidden in meadows before agricultural mowing takes place. Since young deer often remain motionless when danger approaches, they are particularly vulnerable to mowing machinery. Drone-based detection makes it possible to find and rescue them in time. At ACI 2026, Rehkitzrettung Schweiz will give a presentation in the FutureHub (Forumsraum), providing insights into its activities and the technologies involved. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to experience a live demonstration on the meadow near the Hallerbau, where a drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera will search for an artificial fawn. The demonstration will illustrate how this technology works in practice and how it contributes to animal welfare. The organization’s activities are an excellent example of Animal-Machine Interaction, one of the main focuses of ACI 2026. They show how humans and machines can work together to protect animals, even when the animals themselves do not interact directly with the technology. The example also raises important questions about the responsible use of drones, sensors, and autonomous systems in environments shared by humans and animals. Further information on registration, the program, workshops, and participation is available on the ACI 2026 website.

October 14, 2026October 14, 2026

All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace

In 1967, Richard Brautigan published his poem “All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace”. In it, the American writer envisions a world in which animals, humans, and machines live together in harmony. He describes cybernetic meadows and forests where mammals and computers coexist and deer stroll peacefully past machines: “I like to think (and / the sooner the better!) / of a cybernetic meadow / where mammals and computers / live together in mutually / programming harmony / like pure water / touching clear sky. // I like to think / (right now, please!) / of a cybernetic forest / filled with pines and electronics / where deer stroll peacefully / past computers / as if they were flowers / with spinning blossoms. // I like to think / (it has to be!) / of a cybernetic ecology / where we are free of our labors / and joined back to nature, / returned to our mammal / brothers and sisters, / and all watched over / by machines of loving grace.” More than fifty years later, the scientific article “Passive, Active, and Proactive Systems and Machines for the Protection and Preservation of Animals and Animal Species” (2022) by Oliver Bendel explores a similar vision: Machines and autonomous robots could one day protect animals and entire species, detect threats, and intervene independently. While Brautigan presents his cybernetic ecology as a poetic utopia, perhaps with ironic intent, the article examines the technical and ethical prerequisites for such a world. The focus is less on freeing humans from labor, as in the writer’s vision, and more on protecting animals from human interference. What seemed like a fantastical idea in the 1960s has now come within reach as a fascinating possibility.

October 13, 2026October 13, 2026

Robot Allegedly Gropes Teen

A 16-year-old girl in Cologne was allegedly sexually harassed by means of a humanoid robot. According to an October 12, 2026, press release issued by Cologne police, the approximately 4-foot-tall, red-and-gold robot approached the teenager from behind outside a fast-food restaurant early Sunday morning, touched her buttocks, and made thrusting motions. The robot’s 16-year-old owner, from Wegberg, and his 19-year-old companion allegedly filmed the incident, livestreamed it on social media, and provided commentary. Police officers responding to the incident located those involved shortly afterward and discovered the robot, which had since been stowed in the trunk of a Volkswagen. Officers seized the robot and two cell phones. The robot may have been a Unitree R1 manufactured by the Chinese company Unitree Robotics. The model, which stands approximately 4 feet tall (1.23 meters), can be remotely controlled and programmed to perform specific sequences of movements. Its identity has not yet been confirmed. Criminal investigators are investigating the incident on suspicion of sexually motivated insult, an offense under German law. A key question is whether the robot’s movements were deliberately controlled at the time of the incident.

October 9, 2026October 9, 2026

Kawasaki Unveils Home Leo

Japanese technology giant Kawasaki Heavy Industries has unveiled Home Leo, a dog-like robot designed to assist older adults in their daily lives. The Japan Times reported on the development on October 7, 2026. The prototype, presented in Tokyo on October 6, 2026, uses artificial intelligence to communicate with people, perceive its surroundings, make decisions based on the situation, and act autonomously. Home Leo is designed to provide companionship, help its owners with everyday tasks, and watch for potential hazards. By continuously learning individual preferences and habits, the robot is expected to adapt to each user’s needs. In the future, it could also detect falls, changes in health conditions, or fire hazards and alert family members or caregivers. According to the Japan Times, Kawasaki President Yasuhiko Hashimoto demonstrated the robot’s capabilities during the presentation by asking it where his smartphone was. Home Leo replied that the device was on the table, retrieved it, and handed it to its owner. Kawasaki plans to launch the robot in the Japanese fiscal year 2028 and is collaborating with government agencies, medical institutions, nursing care organizations, and AI companies on its further development. The goal is to enable older adults to live independently and safely in their familiar surroundings for as long as possible.

October 6, 2026October 6, 2026

Can Robots and AI Systems Be Creative?

Can robots and AI systems be creative? Since the rise of generative AI, this question has been the subject of intense debate. The issue is not merely whether machines can produce images, texts, or music. It is also about what we understand by creativity and art in the first place, and whether they are necessarily tied to human beings. The Biennale Arte 2026 could have been an excellent place to engage in this debate. In fact, it does so only occasionally. In the Chinese Pavilion, the humanoid robot Astribot S1 writes in the style of calligraphy master Wang Dongling. Visitors can take the works of art, if that is what they are, home with them. Zhang Zhoujie, meanwhile, has computers develop forms for his “digital chairs” based on predefined rules. The designer tries to exercise as little control as possible, giving the computer a degree of creative freedom of its own. In the Venice Pavilion, “Echo/SommersiVo” uses artificial intelligence to translate visitors’ memories and impressions into a constantly changing world of sound and images. Those involved explicitly describe the process as a collaboration between humans and AI in the creative process. These are interesting approaches, but they remain exceptions. At a time when generative AI is challenging our understanding of authorship, originality, and creativity, the world’s most important international exhibition of contemporary art barely addresses this development. The Biennale Arte 2026 did not have to answer the question of whether machines can be creative. But it should have asked it.

October 1, 2026October 1, 2026

Robotaxis in Switzerland

Robotaxis have made their way to Switzerland. Since September 28, 2026, self-driving cars have been available for booking through the iamo app in Zurich’s Furttal region. Three electric Nissan Ariyas are operating in Otelfingen, Dänikon, Hüttikon, and Boppelsen. They are equipped with technology from automation specialist WeRide. The vehicles feature six LiDAR sensors, eleven cameras, and eight additional sensors that provide a 360-degree view of their surroundings. The service includes nearly 100 digitally designated pickup and drop-off points. A ride costs a base fare of CHF 4.70 plus CHF 0.38 per kilometer; Swiss Half Fare Cards and GA Travelcards are not accepted. The service operates daily from 1 to 5 p.m. Up to three passengers can ride at a time, accompanied by a safety driver who can intervene in an emergency. Autonomous driving is not entirely new to Switzerland. As early as 2016, PostAuto’s SmartShuttles were operating in Sion in the canton of Valais. The vehicles used at the time, however, operated under very different conditions. Depending on the area, their speed was limited to between 5 and 20 km/h (3 and 12 mph), and they traveled along virtual tracks. The Furttal project now takes a crucial step further: The Nissan Ariyas operate in regular traffic and have to handle far more complex situations than a bus traveling along a predefined route. That is precisely where the pilot project stands to provide valuable insights. And those insights are unlikely to come without incidents. In a real-world trial of this kind, accidents should be expected. It remains to be seen how the public will react.

September 26, 2026October 2, 2026

AAAI Announces New Venue

The AAAI Spring Symposium Series fosters an intimate environment for emerging AI communities to engage in workshop-style discussions. After several editions away from a university setting, the series appears to have found a new academic home. The AAAI 2027 Spring Symposium Series will take place from March 22 to March 24, 2027, at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. For many years, Stanford University provided the setting for the Spring Symposia, while more recent editions have taken place at the Hyatt Regency and other hotels at San Francisco Airport. Santa Clara University now provides a new academic setting in Silicon Valley for this established series and its distinctive format of several small symposia running in parallel. At the same time, AAAI has issued the Call for Proposals for the 2027 Spring Symposium Series. Proposals for individual symposia are due November 17, 2026, with notifications scheduled for December 8. AAAI expects to select approximately eight symposia covering a broad range of topics within and around artificial intelligence, with a particular interest in emerging research areas and communities. The move to Santa Clara University thus marks a new chapter for the AAAI Spring Symposium Series and brings the event back to a university campus. The Call for Proposals is available on the Spring Symposium Series site (Photo: Cristiano Tomás, CC BY-SA 4.0).