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Bio-inspired cognitive robotics vs. embodied AI for socially acceptable, civilized robots.
1Italian Institute of Technology, Center for Human Technologies, Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences and COgNiTive Architecture for Collaborative Technologies Research Units, Genoa, Italy.
Frontiers in Robotics and AI
|January 29, 2026
Summary
Cognitive robots need ethical guidance and wisdom for societal integration. Bio-inspired embodied cognition, developed through social interaction, offers a path towards "civilized" robots, unlike disembodied AI.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Industry 4.0 forecasts widespread integration of cognitive robots into human society.
- Cognitive robots are expected to be intelligent, adaptive, and capable of learning from experience.
- Close human-robot interaction necessitates ethical decision-making and wisdom in robots.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a framework for developing ethically guided and wise cognitive robots.
- To contrast bio-inspired embodied cognition with current disembodied AI foundation models for robotics.
- To explore how embodied cognition can foster social acceptance of robots.
Main Methods:
- Formulating a working hypothesis centered on bio-inspired embodied cognition.
- Analyzing the limitations of current AI foundation models in robotics (EAI) regarding ethics.
- Proposing an alternative cognitive architecture for robots.
Main Results:
- Current EAI models are super-intelligent but ethically agnostic and disembodied.
- Bio-inspired embodied cognition, educated through development and social interaction, may foster ethically guided behavior and wisdom.
- This approach could lead to more socially acceptable and "civilized" robots.
Conclusions:
- Embodied cognition is crucial for developing ethical and wise cognitive robots.
- A shift from disembodied AI is needed for robots to integrate successfully into human society.
- The proposed framework offers a potential solution for creating "civilized" robots.
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