Julie Carpenter, PhD
@jgcarpenter.com
Researcher of people and technology. AI & attachment. Learning scientist. UXR. Golems. Robots. Cat pics. New book, “The Naked Android: Synthetic Socialness and the Human Gaze.” jgcarpenter.com
I wrote about some of the ways genAI chatbots are designed to make you like them in the post "If not friend, why friend-shaped" (no paywall): jgcarpenter.com/blog.html?bl...
Julie Carpenter, PhD
jgcarpenter.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:38 PM
I wrote about some of the ways genAI chatbots are designed to make you like them in the post "If not friend, why friend-shaped" (no paywall): jgcarpenter.com/blog.html?bl...
Lawyercat has a special place in my heart.
November 8, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Lawyercat has a special place in my heart.
Star Employees on the wall next to the bathrooms and employee lockers at Home Depot.
November 7, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Star Employees on the wall next to the bathrooms and employee lockers at Home Depot.
Gonzo, you were the fuzziest kitten, ever. A teeny muppet baby.
November 6, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Gonzo, you were the fuzziest kitten, ever. A teeny muppet baby.
Reposted by Julie Carpenter, PhD
it's less "AI drives people to kill themselves" and more that "tech companies do it, and are indifferent about it". and, bleakly, some journalists seem determined to convince you that the focal point of this story is a high point of engineering rather than a low point of humanity
November 4, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Wow, thank you! That's great to hear that the work was useful to you.
November 1, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Wow, thank you! That's great to hear that the work was useful to you.
Carpenter, J., Davis, J. M., Erwin-Stewart, N., Lee, T. R., Bransford, J. D., & Vye, N. (2009). Gender representation & humanoid robots designed for domestic use. International Journal of Social Robotics, 1(3), 261-265.
Dunno if this link will work for everyone. :(
www.academia.edu/1891789/Gend...
Dunno if this link will work for everyone. :(
www.academia.edu/1891789/Gend...
Gender representation and humanoid robots designed for domestic use
Humanoid robots' appearance and behavior provide social cues about their purpose and abilities. However, little is known about how a robot's gender representation will affect users in everyday...
www.academia.edu
November 1, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Carpenter, J., Davis, J. M., Erwin-Stewart, N., Lee, T. R., Bransford, J. D., & Vye, N. (2009). Gender representation & humanoid robots designed for domestic use. International Journal of Social Robotics, 1(3), 261-265.
Dunno if this link will work for everyone. :(
www.academia.edu/1891789/Gend...
Dunno if this link will work for everyone. :(
www.academia.edu/1891789/Gend...
"...No matter how simplistic or mechanical it is, a male robot just seems more... I don’t want to say competitive, but...I’m thinking of the word...A male robot would be not competitive, but it would be a challenge in some way.” /Quote. Citation and link to article next! 4/*
November 1, 2025 at 12:20 AM
"...No matter how simplistic or mechanical it is, a male robot just seems more... I don’t want to say competitive, but...I’m thinking of the word...A male robot would be not competitive, but it would be a challenge in some way.” /Quote. Citation and link to article next! 4/*
"..The feminine form is typified as being weak or fragile in some form, but really inviting and warm and more interactive. Whereas if it were a male robot and masculine design, then there’s a safety issue of, ‘OK. I gotta protect myself possibly’. .you don’t know [laughs]." (cont. 3/*)
November 1, 2025 at 12:17 AM
"..The feminine form is typified as being weak or fragile in some form, but really inviting and warm and more interactive. Whereas if it were a male robot and masculine design, then there’s a safety issue of, ‘OK. I gotta protect myself possibly’. .you don’t know [laughs]." (cont. 3/*)
"...I’d have to say that it’s just because of the whole idea of the woman being attractive. Well, attractiveness...I probably shouldn’t say that [blushes]. This is where safety comes into play." (continued 2/*
November 1, 2025 at 12:16 AM
"...I’d have to say that it’s just because of the whole idea of the woman being attractive. Well, attractiveness...I probably shouldn’t say that [blushes]. This is where safety comes into play." (continued 2/*
Another yes to The Ugly Sister!
October 29, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Another yes to The Ugly Sister!