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About

Janna van Grunsven is a philosopher and ethicist whose research sits at the intersection of technology, care, and human relationships, with a particular focus on the social and ethical dimensions of robotics. Her work challenges dominant narratives in human-robot interaction, most notably through her critical examination of sex robots and care robots. In her 2019 paper "A Semblance of Aliveness," one of her most cited contributions, van Grunsven probes what is often overlooked in debates about sex robots — namely, the deeper philosophical questions surrounding artificial embodiment and perceived aliveness. She extends this critical lens in her 2022 paper, where she interrogates optimistic "good companion" visions of sex robots, exposing the assumptions embedded in sociotechnical imaginaries. Her 2024 work on emotional labor in roboticized care practices demonstrates her broader commitment to care ethics, enriching existing frameworks like Care-Centred Value Sensitive Design by foregrounding questions of exploitation. Across her growing body of work, van Grunsven brings nuance and philosophical rigor to urgent debates about how robots are reshaping intimacy, labor, and human dignity — making her an important emerging voice in robot ethics.