On the Japanese Roboticist Masahiro Mori's Buddhist Inspired Concept of "The Uncanny Valley"

Abstract

The Japanese roboticist and practicing Buddhist Masahiro Mori wrote a short essay entitled On Uncanny in 1970.Since publication of this two-page essay,Masahiro Mori's concept of the Uncanny has become part and parcel of discourse within fields of humanoid robotics engineering,the film industry,culture studies,and philosophy,most notably philosophy of Transhumanism.In this paper,Masahiro Mori's concept of Uncanny Valley is discussed in terms of contemporary Japanese cultural milieu relating to humanoid robot technology,and on-going roboticization of human culture.For Masahiro Mori,who is also author of 'The Buddha in Robot'(1981),the same compassion we ought to show to all living being,and Being itself,ought to be extended to our technological creations,which are themselves expressions of Buddha-nature.