Robot Talk @ Imperial Lates

I’m excited to share that I’ll be hosting a live recording of the podcast at the Imperial Lates: Robots event in London on the 29th October, focussing on our future relationships with robots.

At Imperial Lates: Robots, you can get hands-on with all things robots, tech and AI. Where will robotics go in the next ten years, and what does intelligence mean in our ever changing world?

Imperial Lates is a free evening event intended for an 18+ audience.

You can register for to attend Imperial Lates here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/imperial-lates-robots-tickets-2002038938358

Robot Talk: Love, sex and robot companions

6.40pm – 7.25pm
LT200 City and Guilds building, Imperial College London

How will robots and AI shape our future relationships? This special live recording of Robot Talk will explore the social and ethical implications of social robots — from platonic companions to intimate partners — and what they could mean for the future of relationships and our society.

Meet the panellists

Hooman Samani is a Reader in Creative Robotics at the University of the Arts London. His research focuses on human–robot relationships and the emotional, social, cultural, cognitive and creative dimensions of human–robot interaction. He is the founder of Lovotics, a research field investigating emotional relationships between humans and robots, and the creator of Kissenger, a device that enables people to transmit kisses remotely through robotic interfaces. He also leads the Creative Robotics Theatre project, exploring the evolving relationship between humans and intelligent machines.

Ranul Vithanage is a PhD student working at the intersection of robotics, artificial intelligence, and education. His research explores how intelligent systems can better understand human learning and collaboration to provide personalised support. His work also raises broader questions about how AI and robots might shape the ways we interact, collaborate, and build relationships with technology and one another.

Chloé Locatelli is a Lecturer in Digital Media and Culture at King’s College London. Her research explores the intersections of sex work and digital constructions of femininity in heterosexual men’s sextech. She is interested in sextech, ‘sex robots’, affinity with digital characters and other places where sex, intimacy and digital technologies meet. Her doctoral research was enriched by fieldwork in Tokyo and partnership with the University of Tokyo’s Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, funded by the Sasakawa Foundation.