Robot Death and Human Grief in Films: Qualitative Study

Abstract

Extant grief studies examine the way humans mourn the loss of a nonhuman, be it an animal, object, or abstract concept. Yet little is known about grief when it comes to robots. As humans are increasingly brought into contact with more human-like machines, it is relevant to consider the nature of our relationship to these technologies. Centered on a qualitative analysis of 35 films, this study seeks to determine whether humans experience grief when a robot is destroyed, and if so, under what conditions. Our observations of the relevant film scenes suggest that eight variables play a role in determining whether and to what extent a human experiences grief in response to a robot's destruction. As a result, we have devised a psychological mechanism by which different types of grief can be classified as a function of these eight variables.