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About

Marianna Capasso is a leading voice in the ethics of emerging technologies, with a focused research program at the intersection of value-sensitive design, responsible AI, and social robotics. Her work critically examines how autonomous systems, particularly care robots for the elderly, can be aligned with human values and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Capasso’s most cited paper (58 citations) pioneers the application of Value Sensitive Design to reconcile the benefits of healthcare automation with pressing ethical challenges, offering a concrete framework for developing elderly care robots that respect human dignity. Her subsequent work (28 citations) deepens this inquiry by dissecting the tension between autonomy and vulnerability in care settings, bridging abstract ethical principles with real-world practices in autonomous systems. More recently, her 2023 paper (9 citations) tackles the "dilemma of control" in social robotics, arguing for a more responsible innovation process that distributes agency and accountability. Through these contributions, Capasso has established herself as a critical thinker shaping how we design and deploy robots that care—not just efficiently, but ethically.