Exploring the Social Dynamics of Cursing Robots: A Bold Experiment in Human-Robot Interaction

Can Robots Curse? Exploring the Role of Profanity in Human-Robot Interaction

In today’s world, robots are increasingly becoming part of our public spaces, designed to serve us while maintaining a semblance of politeness. From delivery drones to hotel service bots, these social robots aim to embody positive emotions and obedience. But while this approach might make sense in avoiding conflict—after all, who wants a yelling match with a misbehaving robot?—it also raises questions about the underlying assumptions we make in robot design.

The Politeness Paradox

The design ethos behind these demure robots often reflects outdated social norms that link assistance to subservience. A polite robot may be non-threatening, but such designs can inadvertently reinforce paternalistic attitudes. By adhering strictly to these "polite" standards, we may end up creating robots that only cater to the majority while sidelining diverse user needs and experiences.

At Oregon State University’s robotics lab, we take a playful stance against these entrenched norms. Curious about how cursing could challenge traditional robot interactions, we embarked on an intriguing research study: What if robots could use foul language?

Why and How to Study Cursing Robots

In the U.S., societal expectations suggest that cursing robots would be contentious; after all, profanity generally carries a negative connotation. Yet past research indicates that swearing can foster humor and enhance group cohesion. Notably, certain groups (like women) are often expected to avoid potential offense, which may not translate well to robots.

We focused our study on how cursing robots handle mistakes. Prior work in human-robot interactions shows that acknowledging errors can significantly improve a robot’s likability. Interestingly, one study found that humans are more forgiving of profanity from robots than from people.

To test our hypothesis, we created videos depicting three common types of robotic failures: bumping into a table, dropping an object, and failing to grasp something. We varied the robot’s response to these errors, including no commentary, a polite verbal acknowledgment, and an expletive-laden declaration. Participants then rated the robots on factors like competence, discomfort, and likability.

What People Thought of Our Cursing Robots

Surprisingly, we found that cursing robots were more acceptable than we anticipated. Initial reactions from a group of Oregon State students showed that when we excluded one religiously connoted expletive, cursing improved the perceived social closeness and humor of the robot interactions. Even across broader demographics, swearing robots were received with less discomfort than expected.

The results demonstrated that university participants, benefiting from a relatively progressive culture, rated swearing bots similarly to their more polite counterparts in almost every category. Notably, the general public found non-profane and profane robots fell within the same range on most scales, despite some discomfort around expletive use.

To further corroborate our findings, we conducted in-person studies wherein robots distributed goodie bags while making mistakes. The results aligned with our earlier experiments, reinforcing the idea that people value acknowledgment of errors above the specific language robots use.

Give Cursing Robots a Chance

Our study strongly suggests that cursing robots warrant consideration. The findings reveal minimal downsides and even potential upsides to using profanity, particularly in more open-minded environments like university campuses. For the general public, acknowledging errors with a sprinkle of vulgarity elicited less negative feedback than we had anticipated.

Of course, not everyone is on board with the idea of cursing robots. Concerns about comfort and likability do exist, so context matters. Robots should likely avoid swearing in the presence of children or in settings that call for more decorum. Surveying user preferences regarding language can help integrate profanity without risking alienation.

As robots become more prevalent in our daily lives, their responses to mistakes will be increasingly scrutinized. Our research emphasizes that people generally prefer robots that recognize their errors and respond in a relatable manner. So why not explore the full range of potential responses—from the profane to the polite?

Ultimately, we invite designers to embrace the idea of cursing robots. Perhaps it’s time we let them express a bit of human-like frustration, making them more relatable—and maybe even more fun—every time they mess up.