The language of robotics: Use and abuse of personification

Many writers in the robotics field personify robots. By “humanizing” these computer-controlled machines, they attempt to make a difficult and potent technology understandable to potential users in labor and management. However, the comparison of robots to humans has often made the technology fearful to would-be users. By judiciously using personification and by becoming aware of the awesome power of language, robotics experts can disseminate their research more effectively to nontechnical audiences.