Too close for comfort

摘要

Eight years ago, Karl MacDorman was working late at Osaka University in Japan when, around 1 am, his fax machine sputtered into life. Out came a 35-year-old essay, written in Japanese, sent by a colleague. It was an intriguing read for MacDorman, who was building hyperrealistic androids at the time. It warned that when artificial beings have a close human likeness, people will be repulsed. He and his colleagues worked up a quick English translation, dubbing the phenomenon the "uncanny valley". They assumed their rough draft of this obscure essay would only circulate among roboticists, but it caught the popular imagination.