Arianna Sica

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About

Arianna Sica is a leading voice in the emerging field of robot ethics, with a particular focus on the moral and social implications of artificial emotional intelligence (AEI). Her research critically examines how we relate to social and intimate robots, probing the boundaries of trust, consent, and moral status in human-machine interactions. In her highly cited work, "In Technology We Trust! But Should We?" (2023, 8 citations), she challenges our growing reliance on autonomous systems. Sica is perhaps best known for her provocative and essential analysis of sex robots in "The Robot will Feel You Now: The Ethics of Artificial Emotional Intelligence in Sex Robots" (2023, 5 citations), where she investigates the profound ethical concerns surrounding AEI in intimate contexts, including its impact on sexual health and the potential for genuine relationships. Her most recent contribution, "Artificial Emotions and the Evolving Moral Status of Social Robots" (2024, 3 citations), further solidifies her reputation by exploring how AEI might reshape the fundamental ethical standing of robots, challenging both property-oriented and social-relational perspectives. As a pioneering ethicist, Sica is shaping the critical conversation on how we design, trust, and ultimately value emotionally intelligent machines.