To Teach Social-Emotional Skills, Does A Robot Need To Pretend To Be Human?

In a crowded fourth-grade classroom in Chicago, a new kind of tutor is shaping how children learn about empathy, conflict, and problem-solving. 

These robots aren’t programmed to act like friendly classmates with invented emotions and backstories. Instead, they speak plainly, without pretense or fiction.

The research behind it, led by graduate student Lauren Wright and overseen by Asst. Prof. Sarah Sebo at the University of Chicago’s Department of Computer Science, found that honest, factual robots can effectively supplement classroom instruction—challenging conventions and illuminating a new, ethical path for educational technology. 

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