Unraveling the Human Perception of AI Through ‘Detroit: Become Human’
The video game “Detroit: Become Human” brings to light a range of ethical issues and moral dilemmas surrounding artificial intelligence, autonomy, and the value of life — both human and robotic. These themes offer psychology researchers a wealth of material to study critical topics, such as the interaction between humans and robots, empathy towards nonhuman entities (such as robots), moral decision-making, societal values, and attitudes toward AI ethics. Furthermore, the game’s narrative structure provides an appealing case for studying how storytelling influences players’ attitudes and choices. Players are invited to adopt different characters’ perspectives (both human and robotic), which promotes perspective-taking that affects empathy, understanding, and moral reasoning.
However, when considering this game for research purposes, one must consider participant demographics and individual experiences that may significantly shape its interpretation and ethical decision-making outcomes.
Other video games like “NieR: Automata” also raise similar questions about AI ethics by exploring androids’ struggle for purpose in a post-apocalyptic world that probes issues such as consciousness…
