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About

Margherita Bracci is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of social robotics and gender studies, whose work critically examines how human biases are projected onto artificial agents. Her primary research areas include gender role stereotyping in human-robot interaction, the influence of physical appearance on perceptions of robot intelligence and age, and the developmental origins of these biases in children. Bracci’s most impactful study, “Gender role stereotypes at work in humanoid robots” (2022, 16 citations), provides foundational evidence that gender stereotypes activated in human interactions are similarly triggered by humanoid robots, challenging assumptions about neutral technology design. Her 2025 VR-based study (7 citations) innovatively demonstrates how manipulating robot anthropomorphic features—height, head size, limb length—alters perceived cuteness, age, and mental capacity. Bracci has also extended this inquiry to children, revealing in her 2024 work how young imaginations already gender-role robots. By amassing over 25 citations in a nascent field, Bracci is establishing a critical framework for equitable robot design, ensuring that future technologies do not inadvertently reinforce societal stereotypes. Her research is essential reading for anyone interested in ethical AI, human-robot interaction, and the social implications of embodied technology.