Ethical and Societal Challenges Facing Social and Educational Robots - Insights from the KASPAR Experience

This paper provides a comprehensive examination of theethical and societal challenges associated with the deployment of socialrobots in educational and therapeutic settings using the KASPARrobot as a practical example. Key ethical concerns explored include safeguardingone’s privacy, addressing the implications of robotic autonomy,and mitigating cybersecurity risks. Societal challenges such as the potentialdehumanisation of care practices, overreliance on robots, and theirlong-term impact on users’ social needs are analysed in depth. Drawingfrom empirical insights into children’s interactions with KASPAR,a social robot designed to operate as an educational tool in the contextof autism education, this paper discusses practical mitigation strategiesimplemented in KASPAR, emphasising transparency, human oversight,and multidisciplinary collaboration. The findings highlight the need forthoughtful integration of robotics in sensitive domains to balance innovationwith ethical responsibility.