A theoretical perspective on social agency

In interacting with artificial social agents, novel forms of sociality between humans and machines emerge. The theme of Social Agency between humans and robots is of emerging importance. In this paper key theoretical issues are discussed in a preliminary exploration of the concept. We try to understand what Social Agency is and how it is created by, negotiated with, and attributed to artificial agents. This is done in particular considering socially situated robots and by exploring how people recognize and accept social agents. The interplay between humans and agents is investigated through dynamics of interpretation, signification and attribution. The ultimate goal of this research is to explore the challenges and opportunities brought by the design of socially intelligent agents.