Sharing Emotions with Robots: Why Do We Do It, How Does It Make Us Feel? November 2025
The first session of the 2025-2026 international seminar of the Initiative for Responsible AI in Medicine at Tel Aviv University (November 2025, on Zoom). Dr. Guy Laban, Assistant Professor (Senior Lecturer) in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Research Associate in the Department of Computer Science and Technology at the University of Cambridge, presented his research on how artificial agents, particularly social robots, can cultivate meaningful and adaptive interactions that encourage self-expression and foster emotional well-being. He presented a series of experiments on dialogue, self-disclosure and emotion regulation in interactions with social robots and other artificial agents, showing how users gradually adapt to these agents, become more open and expressive over time, and experience emotional benefits from such exchanges. The findings point to the potential of AI-driven agents to offer social and emotional support, while also raising important ethical questions. Moderated by Dr. Amir Tal.
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