Spoken Word
The Provocateurs: When Silence Listens / Your Robot Bestie
14+
Can hearing someone you know change brain recovery? Roseminu Varghese (Edinburgh Napier University) reveals how familiar voices influence consciousness in comatose patients and why human connection may be a powerful clinical tool. Franziska Heck (Edinburgh Napier University) takes a critical look at robot companionship through media narratives, emerging AI products and ongoing research. As engagement is engineered and companionship comes at a price, she questions what we are building and who benefits from it.
Content warnings: None