Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Rachele Carli is an emerging researcher whose work sits at the critical intersection of human-robot interaction, AI ethics, and the philosophy of technology. Her scholarship interrogates the ethical dimensions of social robotics and intelligent agents, with particular focus on how design choices — especially anthropomorphism and emotional simulation — can blur the boundary between fostering user acceptance and enabling manipulation. Her most cited work, "Human-Robot Interaction and User Manipulation" (2022, 8 citations), alongside her closely related study on social robots and anthropomorphization (2022, 7 citations), establishes her as a thoughtful voice on the risks embedded in affable robot design. Carli has made a distinctive contribution by centering the concept of human vulnerability in ethical frameworks for AI and robotics, arguing that vulnerability-sensitive impact assessments are essential for developing human-centered, rights-respecting systems — a theme she develops across multiple publications including her 2023 work on XAI and deception (6 citations). Her engagement with trust, dependency, and manipulation in human-agent relationships reflects a broader commitment to ensuring that as intelligent systems become embedded in everyday life, the humans interacting with them remain genuinely protected rather than subtly exploited.