What does it mean to know a robot? In Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot, Dr. Susan Calvin’s words echo the questions that guide my research. Is a robot simply “gears and metal,” or do we attribute a mind to it? When we see robots as “more faithful, more useful,” how does that shape our willingness to trust and rely on them? And if they are “human-made,” does that give us the right to “destroy” them?

By creating robots as intelligent as themselves, humans would be “no longer alone” in the universe. This could open new possibilities for cooperation and mutual flourishing, but also give rise to conflict and tension. How can we shape a future in which humans and robots coexist and thrive together?

This perspective also draws inspiration from Science Fiction Science (Sci-Fi-Sci): using controlled experiments to simulate future technologies and study how people might think, feel, and behave in response. It offers a way to investigate the social and psychological implications of future AI and robots before these technologies become part of everyday life.