Kate Darling, PhD.

Leading Expert in Social Robotics & MIT Media Lab Research Specialist

Dr. Kate Darling is a leading expert in Robot Ethics and a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab, where she investigates social robotics and conducts experimental studies on human-robot interaction. Kate explores the emotional connection between people and life-like machines, seeking to influence technology design and policy direction. Her writing and research anticipate difficult questions that lawmakers, engineers, and the wider public will need to address as human-robot relationships evolve in the coming decades. Kate has a background in law & economics and intellectual property. She has researched economic incentives in copyright and patent systems and has taken a role as intellectual property expert at multiple academic and private institutions. Her passion for technology and robots has led her to interdisciplinary fields. After co-teaching a robot ethics course at Harvard Law School with Professor Lawrence Lessig, she began to work at the intersection of law and robotics, with a focus on legal and social issues. Kate’s work has been featured in Vogue, The New Yorker, The Guardian, BBC, NPR, PBS, The Boston Globe, Forbes, CBC, WIRED, Boston Magazine, The Atlantic, Slate, Die Zeit, The Japan Times, and more. Kate graduated from law school with honors and holds a doctorate of sciences from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) and an honorary doctorate of sciences from Middlebury College. She is the caretaker for several domestic robots, including her Pleos Yochai, Peter, and Mr. Spaghetti.

Check out Kate’s 11-minute TedTalk video ~ Why we have an emotional connection to robots

Tuesday Keynote: 11:30am to 1:00pm

The Future of Human-Robot Interaction

The robots are coming! They are getting smarter, evolving from single-task devices (think Roomba) into machines that can make their own decisions and autonomously navigate public spaces. From transportation systems, hospitals, and the military, to the robotization of our workplaces, households, and schools, robots will be everywhere and will increasingly interact with people.

Whether you find it exhilarating or terrifying (or both), progress in robotics and related fields like AI raises new ethical quandaries and challenges legal codes created for a world in which a sharp line separates man from machine.

Drawing from her recent work exploring humans’ emotional responses to robots, Dr. Kate Darling considers questions like:

•  What happens when robots begin interacting with humans?
• What opportunities and challenges are anticipated in human-robot interactions?
• Why do people treat robots like living things, and why does that matter?
• What can and can’t robots and AI do?
• What societal challenges (ethical, legal, social) will we face in a future with robots?

Dr. Darling examines why people fear some robots and empathize with others, while also prompting – and answering – questions about what our relationship with these robots could look like in the future of work, education, and society. Dr. Darling’s keynote is in part an examination of the technology itself, but ultimately, offers a window into how it is poised to change the way we relate to each other and our own humanity – and why it matters.

 Concurrent session offered by keynote speaker:

Keynote Concurrent Session ~ Tuesday, 1:15 to 2:05pm
T3-05 Current Research on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Education Tuesday
Description:
Join our keynote speaker, Kate Darling, to hear about and discuss current AI education efforts. As interest in ethical AI increases, the number of curricula on the subject matter is exploding. Researchers are also exploring different ways of imparting ethical and policy issues to a variety of audiences, learning more about what is most effective in the AI space. We will also have a robot guest expert!

Dr. Lori Elliott

Author of Project-Based Learning Anywhere, Presenter, Content Developer & Educational Consultant

Dr. Lori Elliott is an enthusiastic and creative educator. She has served as a classroom teacher, technology integration specialist, and literacy coordinator during her almost 30 years in education. Dr. Elliott is the author of Project-Based Learning Anywhere. She partners with educators across the country and internationally to teach, learn, plan, and implement best instructional practices. Her passions include Project-Based Learning, technology integration, literacy, and authentic learning practices. Lori is well-known for providing humorous, engaging, and practical presentations. Her energy and love for teaching and learning is contagious.

Wednesday Keynote: 11:30am to 1:00pm

Living & Learning in Our Project Based World

Our lives are all about projects and our to-do lists. How do we prepare students for this constantly changing, fast-paced, and challenging world we navigate daily? Join Lori to discuss the reality of our project based lives and how we can implement authentic tasks in our instruction to help students apply content and develop needed critical thinking and social skills.

 Concurrent session offered by keynote speaker:

Keynote Concurrent Session1 ~ Wednesday, 1:15 to 2:05pm
W3-01 Lessons Learned by an Accidental Techie
Description:
Are you looking for some simple, but effective ways to use technology tools more effectively in your instruction? Lori shares her top 5 teaching tips for engaging students and differentiating instruction with the best and brightest technology tools available. Her practical approach to technology integration will fill your teacher toolbox with take and use ideas and easy to use technology tools. Whether you are teaching virtually, or in the classroom, you can use these ideas to engage your students!

Keynote Concurrent Session1 ~ Wednesday, 2:40 to 3:30pm
W4-01 Tips & Tools for Engaging Students in Authentic Technology Integration
Description:
Are you looking for some simple, but effective ways to use technology tools more effectively in your instruction? Lori shares her top 5 teaching tips for engaging students and differentiating instruction with the best and brightest technology tools available. Her practical approach to technology integration will fill your teacher toolbox with take and use ideas and easy to use technology tools. Whether you are teaching virtually, or in the classroom, you can use these ideas to engage your students!