Marcel Verbunt

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About

Marcel Verbunt is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction, social robotics, and moral psychology. His most celebrated work, the provocatively titled "To kill a mockingbird robot" (2007, 90 citations), fundamentally challenged how we perceive the social status of robots. In this landmark study, Verbunt proposed that the ultimate test of a robot’s perceived animacy is whether humans are willing to “kill” it—an experiment that forced a stark confrontation with our moral intuitions. By demonstrating that intelligent, life-like behavior in robots triggers deep-seated perceptions of life and moral standing, Verbunt opened a critical dialogue on the ethics of robot treatment. His work has become essential reading for scholars in robot ethics and human-robot interaction, influencing debates on robot rights and the psychological impact of autonomous systems. Verbunt’s daring, thought-provoking approach continues to shape how we understand the boundary between machine and living being, making him a key figure in the emerging field of robothics.