[agents] ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction - Special Issue on Robo-Identity - EXTENDED DEADLINE

Wed Dec 4 10:29:46 EST 2024

ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction
Special Issue on Robo-Identity: Designing for Identity in the Converging World of Humans and Machines

Guest Editors:
Minha Lee, Eindhoven University of Technology, m.lee at tue.nl
Dimosthenis Kontogiorgos, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, dkonto at mit.edu
Andre Pereira, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, atap at kth.se

One emerging challenge in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) research is to extensively explore the fluidity of
identities across devices and technologies and how we share our identity with robots' identities. Understanding
both human and artificial identities and investigating the why, when, and how they reside in an artificial body are
compelling but still underexplored topics. The concept of robot identity has attracted research attention, be it
identities represented on various forms of humanoid robots or more abstract designs. Beyond physical attributes,
it is important to delve into the nature of robot identity in society, such as how human identities can interact with
and be developed alongside robot identities.

The special issue follows the topic of human and non-human identities, which has been explored through a series
of three Robo-Identity workshops at the HRI conference since 2021. This burgeoning topic attracts
interdisciplinary researchers, ranging from engineers and designers to philosophers, demonstrating traction
across various fields and subfields that touch upon HRI. Focus points include strategies for robots or other forms
of artificial agents to analyze and synthesize human identity over time, techniques for evolving artificial identities,
the appropriateness of adapting identities across multiple embodiments, and the presentation of non-human
identity as co-evolving with human identities.

We see a pressing need for a more comprehensive investigation into the allocation and nature of identities within
robotic or other artificial entities. Building on existing work on multi-embodiment, we can foster collaborative
discourse on the intricate problem of artificial identity or robo-identity, catalyzed by the proliferation of diverse
interfaces and agents. Additionally, we aim to deepen discussions around balancing a distinct machine-like
identity, such as robotic speech, versus embracing blurred boundaries between human and machine, such as
emotionally expressive speech and dialogue that sounds human-like. Lastly, it is timely to explore strategies for
designing robots capable of adapting to the evolving identities of individuals and groups, methods for
accommodating changing human needs and preferences, and approaches for analyzing and synthesizing human
identity over time, reflecting the dynamic nature of robo-identity within societal contexts. Hence, we expect this
special issue to attract diverse contributions on the broad topic of identity.

By exploring the fluidity of identity, researchers and practitioners can contribute to creating technologies that not
only accommodate diverse societal needs but also actively work towards mitigating biases and promoting
inclusivity. We propose this special issue to provide a platform to incentivize further development and further
disseminate research on identity.

Topics
Exploring the multifaceted concept of artificial identity and its implications in the shared world. We invite original
research contributions, theoretical perspectives, datasets, case studies, and reviews that address various aspects
of identity, including but not limited to the following topics:
Definitions and frameworks for understanding identity
Designing systems as identity hosts
Techniques for synthesizing and evolving artificial identities
Implications of modalities (e.g., synthetic voice and emotional expressions) on identity
Exploration of artificial identity in diverse forms and bodies
Promoting inclusivity or mitigating social biases through the design of artificial identities
Strategies for robots to analyze and synthesize human identity over time
Adapting to the fluidity of human identities over time with robots and artificial agents
Personalized engagement and adaptation to changing user needs and preferences and multimodality
Applications of identity-aware robots in education, healthcare, or entertainment
Methodology and systems that support identity migration/re-embodiment
Balancing machine-like vs. human-like identities in design and interaction
Ethical, societal, and privacy considerations in designing, presenting, and interacting with artificial identities
Exploring psychological impacts and philosophical discussions on identity
Evaluation and user studies on the perception, acceptance, and impact of artificial identities
Cross-cultural and long-term studies on the evolution of human-robot relationships and identities
Interdisciplinary approaches to studying and designing artificial identities

Important Dates
Submissions deadline: January 5, 2025
First-round review decisions: April 5, 2025
Deadline for revision submissions: July 5, 2025
Notification of second decision: September 5, 2025
Deadline for revisions: December 5, 2025
Notification of final decisions: January 15, 2026
Tentative publication: February 15, 2026

Submission Information
ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, open-access journal
using an online submission and manuscript tracking system. We welcome contributions from researchers and
practitioners across various disciplines to enrich the discourse on this important topic. Papers should be
formatted according to the guidelines of the THRI journal and submitted through the online submission system.
THRI does not have a page limit, but the submission length should suggest the weight of its contribution. Please
check out the THRI author guidelines (https://dl.acm.org/journal/thri/author-guidelines).

To submit your paper, please:
1. Go to https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/thri and login or follow the "Create an account" link to register.
2. After logging in, click the "Author" tab.
3. Follow the instructions to "Start New Submission"
4. Choose the paper type "SI: Robo-Identity: Designing for Identity in the Converging World of Humans and
Machines.

For questions and further information, please contact m.lee at tue.nl, dkonto at mit.edu or atap at kth.se.
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