Maybe robots aren't common enough for people to notice, but a new study suggests robot racism has become a problem.
The study, "Robots and Racism," notes most robots -- such as the bots in "I, Robot" and "Wall-E" -- are white. The same goes for many real-life robots used by companies like Honda and NASA. "The bias against black robots is a result of bias against African-Americans," says the study's lead researcher, Christoph Bartneck. "It is amazing to see how people who had no prior interaction with robots show racial bias towards them."
The study points out that since robots are often constructed with human features, they should "represent the diversity of humans." Bartneck says, "Imagine a world in which all Barbie dolls are white. In the same way that we do want Barbie dolls in all colors and shapes, we also want robots in more than just white."
Do you agree with the study? Or could one argue that most robots are pure white, but no humans are?
Would there be an issue if all robots were silver?
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