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About

Neil McBride is a prominent researcher specializing in the ethics of robotics, responsible research and innovation (RRI), and human-robot interaction. His work sits at a critical intersection of technology design, moral philosophy, and social impact, making him a leading voice in shaping how robots should be developed and deployed in sensitive human contexts. McBride's most influential contribution, "The Empathic Care Robot" (2013, 91 citations), used science fiction prototyping to explore the ethical dimensions of affective robotics, establishing a framework for thinking responsibly about emotionally capable machines. Building on this, his 2014 paper on RRI for robotics provided practical guidance for engineers and designers navigating ethical challenges across diverse robotic applications. His work has also tackled the contentious application of social robots in autism therapy, offering a rigorous ethical analysis of projects like DREAM that seek to replace human therapists with robotic systems. Notably, McBride has engaged directly with foundational questions in machine ethics, critiquing Asimov's laws and proposing more grounded alternatives that acknowledge the interdependence of humans and robots in moral decision-making. His cumulative impact—spanning industry, healthcare, and philosophy—reflects a career dedicated to ensuring robotics serves humanity responsibly.