Expressive robots lose 50% of influence after errors

A Drexel-led study found that an expressive humanoid robot lost more than half its influence over people’s decisions after making errors, even though its eye contact, gestures, and affirmations initially built stronger engagement. The Drexel research summary describes 50 adults interacting with expressive or motionless Pepper robots across error-free and failure sessions; the Science Robotics paper measures brain activity, oxytocin, reported trust, and whether participants followed advice. Robot builders should treat charm as a reliability multiplier in reverse: social polish raises the cost of a visible failure, a constraint that complements the archive’s robotaxi operations case.