科学美国人60秒 SSS 机器人应该使用这个技巧来说服人类(上)

This is Scientific American’s 60-Second Science. I’m Karen Hopkin.

这里是科学美国人——60秒科学系列， 我是凯伦·霍普金。

Robots can do a lot of things.

机器人可以做很多事情。

They can build cars. Stock grocery shelves. Process COVID tests in an automated¹ laboratory.

他们可以制造汽车。 为杂货店的货架备货。 在自动化实验室中处理冠状病毒测试。

But can a robot change your mind?

但机器人能改变你的想法吗?

Well, that depends. Because a new study shows that robots are more persuasive² when they’re presented as a peer, as opposed to an authority figure.

嗯,这要看情况而定。 因为一项新的研究表明，与权威人物相比，当机器人以同伴的身份出现时，它们更有说服力。

The findings appear in the journal Science Robotics.

这一发现发表在《科学机器人》杂志上。

Every year we’re seeing more and more robots, in greater numbers of tasks and environments around our world.

每一年，我们都能看到越来越多的机器人，出现在我们世界各地的任务和环境中。

Shane Saunderson, a roboticist at the University of Toronto.

多伦多大学的机器人专家谢恩·桑德森表示。

And instead of just 20, 30, 40 years ago—when they were in manufacturing environments building cars or painting things or stuff like that—more and more we’re starting to see them in very social contexts.

20、30、40年前，他们还在制造环境中制造汽车或绘画之类的东西，而现在，我们越来越多地开始在非常社会的环境中看到他们。

So in retail³ environments, in care homes, in schools and things like that.

在零售环境中，在养老院，在学校等等都可以看到它们。

So robots don’t have the luxury of just being functional⁴ anymore.

因此，机器人不再是仅仅拥有发挥功能的奢侈品。

To engage with the humans, they also have to be relatable.

为了与人类打交道，他们也必须与人产生共鸣。

For example, imagine a robot helping⁵ out in a care facility…delivering a meal or dropping off meds.

例如，想象一个机器人在护理机构帮忙……送饭或送药。

You’d often see residents that would refuse to eat their meal or they wouldn’t want to take their medication that day.

你经常会看到住院医生拒绝吃饭或者他们那天不想吃药。

So you have a care provider have to sit there for 10, 15, 20 minutes having a conversation, reminding that person how important it is.

所以你需要一个护理人员坐在那里10分钟，15分钟，20分钟的谈话，提醒那个人吃药有多重要。

But could that kind of critical cajoling actually be accomplished⁶ by some clever coding?

但是，这种重要的劝诱真的可以通过一些聪明的编码来实现吗?

The reality is if robots are going to take on those types of tasks they do need to know how to be persuasive.

现实情况是，如果机器人要承担这些类型的任务，它们确实需要知道如何具有说服力。

To figure out how to make robots more influential⁷, Saunderson set up a series of tasks.

为了弄清楚如何让机器人更有影响力，桑德森设置了一系列任务。

In half the tasks, Saunderson played the role of the experimenter and he would introduce the robot, a programmable off-the shelf model named Pepper, as the participants’ peer.

在一半的任务中，桑德森扮演实验者的角色，他会介绍一个机器人，它是一个现成的可编程模型，名叫佩珀，作为参与者的同伴。

And so any time someone had to do a task, Pepper would offer suggestions to try and persuade them and help them out.

因此，每当有人必须完成一项任务时，佩珀都会提出建议，试图说服他们，帮助他们解决问题。

In one task, a volunteer might be asked to listen to a series of directions…

在一项任务中，志愿者可能会被要求听一系列的指示…

up, down, left, right, right, down, left…

上、下、左、右、右、下、左...

and then have to identify their position on a grid⁸ based on how well they remembered the list.

然后根据他们对列表的记忆程度确定自己在网格中的位置。

1 automated   

a.自动化的

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。

2 persuasive   

adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的

参考例句：

• His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。
• The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。

3 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

4 functional   

adj.为实用而设计的，具备功能的，起作用的

参考例句：

• The telephone was out of order,but is functional now.电话刚才坏了，但现在可以用了。
• The furniture is not fancy,just functional.这些家具不是摆着好看的，只是为了实用。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

7 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

8 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。