L’artista e ricercatore Zaven Paré, figura di riferimento internazionale nella ricerca transdisciplinare tra arte, scienza e tecnologia, sarà ospite dell’Università IULM per due incontri dedicati all’esplorazione dei robot sociali e di altri agenti artificiali.
Gli appuntamenti si inseriscono nel ciclo di seminari Immaginari della
tecnoscienza, organizzato all’interno del progetto interdipartimentale
Immaginari della tecnoscienza II, coordinato da
Renato Boccali e Luisa Damiano
Mercoledì 12 novembre 2025 – ore 15:30–17:30
Aula 621 – IULM 6
Titolo: Embodiment of Conversation
Abstract (English)
This presentation examines the evolution of Hikari, Gatebox's virtual assistant, in light of recent advancements in large language models (LLM). Drawing on analyses of Gatebox as a home interface, this study highlights the tension between its two spheres of activity: the intimate space of the home and the expansive reach of the cloud that underpins its functionality. Hikari's preprogrammed dialogues, initially limited to repetitive, role-playing routines (greetings, reminders, messages, etc.), are re-evaluated in light of the paradigm shift brought about by generative AI. These changes reconfigure the dynamics of shared presence, emotional connection, and the illusion of reciprocity in human-AI relationships. By analyzing domestic interactions and external communication patterns, Hikari becomes a case study for understanding the affective infrastructure of social robots and their role in everyday life.
Segui l’incontro online
Giovedì 13 novembre 2025 – ore 14:30–16:30
Aula 136 – IULM 1
Titolo: From the Artist’s Studio to the Lab
Abstract (English)
What happens when an artist who invents devices and builds rudimentary machines in his workshop is welcomed into engineering laboratories where research is geared towards technological innovation? The Robot Actors Project is a Japanese research platform that attempts to meet this challenge of collaboration, from machine design to interaction design, and from robot manipulation to the simulation of behaviors using these machines. A device such as a robot can then become a communication tool that questions the structure of exchange and reproduces social behaviors and expressions—such as deference and detachment—or even allow for comparative studies with humans or animals.
Segui l’incontro online
Zaven Paré è artista e ricercatore. Ha inventato the electronic puppet (CalArts, 1999) e ha collaborato con il Prof. Hiroshi Ishiguro al Robot Actors
Project dell’Università di Osaka (JSPS Grant, 2010). È autore dei volumi
L’âge d’or de la robotique japonaise (Les Belles Lettres, 2016) e Le théâtre de laboratoire. Préambules au design
d’interaction des robots (Presses Universitaires de Paris Nanterre, 2025; prefazione di L. Damiano). Ha curato mostre sulla robotica, tra cui Living
with Robots alla Japan House di São Paulo (2023), visitata da oltre 300.000 persone.