Human interactions with robots will only continue to grow in the coming years

NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine will host a free webinar next week titled, “The Future of Human-Robot Interaction.” The webinar, which is part of NYITCOM’s Artificial Intelligence Series, will feature Dr. Kate Darling, a research specialist with the MIT Media Lab and a leading expert in robot ethics.

The webinar will take place on Wednesday (Oct. 13) and will include a Q&A session with Darling. The event is open to the public, and participants must register by visiting this website. Continuing education credits are available for medical professionals and educators.

“Humans are interacting with robots more and more each day. Artificial intelligence augments anthropomorphic robots to mimic human social behavioral traits and very soon they will be impacting our lives in a number of areas, including health care,” said Rajendram Rajnarayanan, Ph.D., NYITCOM at ASU assistant dean for research and publications. “Current and future physicians need to be at the forefront of these conversations so they can adapt, innovate and be ready for the numerous ways artificial intelligence is being integrated in health care. We’re pleased to offer this educational event for them as well as the community.”

Darling will discuss ethical issues in human-robot interactions and provide her perspective regarding how humans should view robots in light of conversations surrounding their potential to supplement and/or replace human jobs.

She has been “investigating social robotics, exploring the emotional connection between people and lifelike machines, and seeking to influence technology design and policy direction. Her writing and research anticipate difficult questions that lawmakers, engineers, and the wider public will need to address as human-robot relationships evolve in the coming decades,” her bio states.

According to Rajnarayanan, NYITCOM’s Artificial Intelligence Series was born out of the vision of Jerry Balentine, D.O., Executive Vice President and COO of New York Institute of Technology.

“We are grateful for Dr. Balentine’s commitment to host prominent speakers who are at the forefront of innovation, technology, and pioneers in their fields to educate our medical students on issues that will significantly impact them,” Rajnarayanan said. “These are tremendous opportunities for our students to learn about specific ways technology is changing our world.”