Dakota Root
Papers
1
Total Citations
9
H-Index
1
About
Dakota Root’s research lies at the intersection of philosophy of technology, human-robot interaction, and communication studies, with a particular focus on how we relate to artificial agents. Root’s major contribution is a critical re-examination of Don Ihde’s alterity relation—the concept of technology as a “quasi-other.” In their most-cited work, “Reconfiguring the alterity relation: the role of communication in interactions with social robots and chatbots” (2024, 9 citations), Root argues that existing frameworks fail to distinguish between the quasi-otherness of simple tools and the more complex, communicative otherness of AI systems like social robots and chatbots. By foregrounding the role of dialogue and mutual responsiveness, Root redefines how we understand human-AI relationships, moving beyond mere tool-use to a richer, interactional model. This work has already shaped discussions in postphenomenology and robot ethics, offering a nuanced lens for researchers studying trust, empathy, and social bonding with machines. Root’s scholarship is notable for bridging abstract philosophical theory with pressing, real-world questions about our increasingly conversational technologies.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1