Australian Skeptics in the Pub - BUILDING TRUST IN AI AND ROBOTS

Artificial intelligence and robotics are advancing at an extraordinary pace. However, despite this rapid technological progress, robots remain largely absent from most people's everyday lives. Why?

In this talk, Resul Dagdanov explores the gap between what robots can do and what people actually want. Drawing on research from robotics, psychology, and business, he examines the factors that influence whether AI-driven robotic technologies succeed or fail outside the laboratory.

The discussion challenges the assumption that better technology naturally leads to wider adoption. Instead, it argues that the future of robotics depends on understanding people first and then designing machines that solve real-world problems to satisfy human needs.
As robots become increasingly capable, the real question may not be whether they can perform tasks with highest accuracy, but whether we are designing them in ways that people want to live and work with.

Resul Dagdanov is a robotics engineer and researcher pursuing a PhD at the University of Technology Sydney's Robotics Institute. His research focuses on human-centric robotics: designing intelligent robots that can work alongside humans, with humans, and for humans. Drawing on engineering, psychology, and human behaviour, he explores how humans and robots can collaborate in everyday settings. As he wanders through this steppe lands of robotics, his research is guided by the principle: putting people first. His work explores an important question: if robots are becoming increasingly capable, what will it take for people to trust, accept, and adopt them in their daily lives?

After the presentation:
Following the presentation and questions, if there's time we will hand the microphone over to one audience member for a 5 minute chat on a sceptical topic of their choice. It can be a news item, your own sceptical "special subject" or an encounter with everyday scepticism. If you're interested in sharing something with your fell