The uncanny valley: the reason why we find human robots creepy

Ever watched videos of or have seen pictures of famous humanoids like Sophia and felt extremely weirded out? Or ever watched the Polar Express and felt a bit uneasy, even though you loved the movie? Well fret not, you aren’t alone.

Many may assume that more lifelike a creation, the more people will find it appealing. But, this has noted to be not the case. This brings us to this phenomenon known as the ‘uncanny valley‘ effect, which is characterized by a steep dip in emotional response after encountering an entity that is almost, but not actually human. The term was coined by Masahiro Mori, a roboticist, who stated that the more human-like robots became, the more liked they were. But this was only up to a certain point where they seemed to be almost human, after which people experienced a strong sense of unease and discomfort. If you have ever played a video game or watched a CGI based movie, you may have experienced this. Here, the animation may look all too real- but that slight split between looking ‘fully human’ and looking ‘almost human’ leaves you feeling revolted.

Examples

• Shrek

It is quite the unknown feat that in the initial screenings of Shrek, it was noted that children experienced feelings of anxiety in response to Princess Fiona. The reason being that she was very life-like leading the children to feel unnerved and cry whenever she appeared on the screen. Post the feedback, her character was edited to make her seem more cartoon-like.

• Cats (2019)

While a questionable movie overall, Cats (2019) featured humanoid felines which a lot of people found to be highly unsettling. The audience review for the movie had two fronts- either it was found to be humorous, or it was found to be highly revolting. Especially on social media, many people noted to be extremely creepy or weird.

This creepy or weird feeling that a lot of the audience experienced could also because the film relied a lot on movement. Mori also stated that adding motion can increase the uncanny valley effect; and here, the film included both human and feline-like movements- which further confuses the viewer.  

• Robot influencers

Believe it or not, the influencer world has achieved new heights with robot / AI Miquela (@lilmiquela) on Instagram. For many, it may take some time to realize that she is actually a robot. And when you realize that she isn’t human, there is this feeling of uneasiness that creeps in, it’s something that you cannot really put your finger on- but it just feels a bit weird. Somehow the non-human like characteristics become clearer, and then watching her videos, reels and pictures and seeing how she communicates with other humans, leaves you feeling a bit confused. While you are amazed at the technology, you still feel a bit of uneasiness creeping in- at the sight of a robot with 2.9 million followers doing everyday human things.

Note: the view of Miquela is purely a personal opinion. Of course, it is possible for everyone to have a different opinion.

Explanations

There are a few explanations for this phenomenon, given the limited amount of research on the topic. While Mori suggested this phenomenon in the 1970’s, research on it began only in the 2000’s. One explanation for the effect is that of ambiguity, where one feels ‘weirded out’ by this sense of seeing something that is almost but yet not human; there is this dissonance that makes you feel unpleasant. Interestingly, horror movies might just exploit this effect to induce creepiness. For example, by personifying non-human entities like the doll in Annabelle, to add the strong element of horror.

The second explanation is that of category uncertainty, caused by cognitive dissonance experienced. Category uncertainty refers to being able to segregate an entity into a category, here, being unable to determine whether the entity is human or non-human. A person then experiences cognitive dissonance, which refers to psychological discomfort felt due to contradicting beliefs. Here, the conflict occurs between the belief that the entity is human and the belief that the entity is not human. Moreover, further dissonance is caused if something that looked non-human suddenly begins to look human, and then shifts back and forth. There is a mismatch between what you see you see and believe, no wonder you feel creeped out.

Implications

• Robots

Given the increase use of robotic technology, it is important to include advancements that do not cause uneasiness. The phenomenon has implication in the designing of assistive technologies that aid people with disabilities interact with the environment and perform tasks. And obviously, people will be more receptive to designs that are more appealing, along with being useful.

• Film

If you are a fan of anime or any animated movies, you interestingly realise that you do not experience the uncanny valley phenomenon, even though the characters in the series/ movie are ‘human.’ That is because such the animators have managed to strike that perfect balance between their characters being not ‘too human,’ but are yet have human roles- in other words, a clear balance between the unreal and real.

Many animated films are actually criticized for having extremely unrealistic depictions of human- with respect to, say, the body structure or eyes; but this could be an intentional, and effective strategy to avoid the uncanny valley phenomenon.

While there is yet a need for in-depth research to be conducted on this unique phenomenon, it is an important given today’s day and age- where the use of robots and AI technology is on the rise. Interestingly, Mori himself stated that his observation was meant to be more of a guideline for designers instead of a scientific statement. Thus, as robotics and animations move into further advancements, considering the audience’s emotional response becomes vital.

Additional References

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20130901-is-the-uncanny-valley-real