Interview with Kate Darling, research specialist at the MIT Media Lab

Machines driven by artificial intelligence (AI)—such as robots, chatbots, and digital assistants—are becoming increasingly human-like in their interactions with us. This is usually by design: We get more out of our partnerships with machines if we can relate to them.

But as we build empathy toward machines, ethical questions arise: Should we treat machines with courtesy and kindness? Kate Darling, a research specialist at the MIT Media Lab and an Affiliate at the Harvard Berkman Center, who studies how technology intersects with society, wonders whether it could matter.

In an interview with Forbes AI, Darling explains why we should care about our interactions with machines.