Dear colleagues, (Apologies for any cross-posting.) We are pleased to announce that the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Advanced Robotics and Its Social Impacts (ARSO 2025) will be held from July 17 to 19, 2025, at JAM BASE in Grand Green Osaka, a central hub in Osaka, Japan. Early registration is open until June 21, 2025. A special public session titled "Emergence of “cohabitant” robots and their ELSI implications" will be held on July 18 from 16:40 to 18:00. This session will be conducted in Japanese (AI-powered English captions projected on-screen) and is fee of charge. We warmly invite your participation in ARSO 2025 and look forward to welcoming you in Osaka. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2025 IEEE International Conference on Advanced Robotics and Its Social Impacts (ARSO 2025) https://ieee-arso.org * Date: July 17th-19th, 2025 * Venue: Blooming Camp on the 3rd floor of Grand Green Osaka "JAM BASE", Osaka, Japan * Registration: https://ieee-arso.org/registration/ Advanced robots are expected to enter in promising applications in our future society and bring substantial impacts. The increasing implementation of AI-based components even broaden their fields of application. To ensure that these impacts are positively reflected, today, we need to extend views not only on technical aspects but also on social challenges that we might face, including safety, regulation, ethics, human factors, and philosophy. The topics of ARSO 2025 include, but are not limited to the following: * Human-robot interaction in physical & psychological aspects * Safety standards for advanced robots & autonomous systems * Legal and ethical issues for advanced robots * Impact of robotics on society, e.g. robot business, marketing & economic impact * Robotics for sustainability, climate change or civil aid * Advanced industrial robots for future manufacturing * Healthcare & medical applications * Rehabilitation and transfer robotics * Service & assistance applications * Entertainment & education robotics * Robotics & autonomous driving * Bio-inspired robotics * Soft and wearable robotics Keynote Talks: 1. "The role of AI and robotics in society: Challenges and considerations" Arisa Ema (The University of Tokyo, Japan) 2. "Do robots really care?" Raja Chatila (Institut Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique (ISIR), France) 3. "Towards ethical lethal autonomy: Are reductions in noncombatant casualties achievable?" Ronald C. Arkin (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA) General Chairs: Minoru Asada, Japan Silvia Rossi, Italy Program Chairs: Kensuke Harada, Japan Emel Demircan, USA Astrid Weiss, Austria ARSO 2025 Special Public Session "Emergence of “cohabitant” robots and their ELSI implications" https://ieee-arso.org/special-public-session/ * Date: July 18th (Fri.) 16:40 - 18:00 * Venue: Blooming Camp on the 3rd floor of Grand Green Osaka "JAM BASE", Osaka, Japan * Language: Japanese (AI-powered English captions projected on-screen) * Participation fee: free of charge * Registration: https://forms.gle/xGgycTG2rHzNJ83q7 Purpose of the session: We are now entering an era in which robots are becoming part of our homes and everyday spaces—living with us as “cohabitant robots.” These robots are not mere tools; they are increasingly viewed as companions that mediate emotional connections and relationships. Cohabitant robots have the potential to enhance our well-being by supporting the elderly emotionally, assisting children’s learning, and providing personalized engagement. At the same time, however, they also raise new social and ethical concerns, such as risks to privacy and the potential for emotional manipulation. At the 21st IEEE International Conference on Advanced Robotics and Its Social Impacts (ARSO 2025), we are organizing—for the first time—a special session open to the general public. This commemorative session will begin with a keynote lecture by Mr. Yoichiro Masuda, a product designer at Panasonic Corporation, who led the development of the cohabitant robot NICOBO. In his talk, titled “NICOBO: Idea, Design, and Development,” he will share the story behind NICOBO’s creation and the philosophy that shaped it. Following the keynote, three expert talks will be delivered from the perspectives of roboethics, psychology, and anthropology, exploring the societal impacts and challenges posed by cohabitant robots. After the talks, a general discussion with the audience will be held. We warmly invite your questions and comments as we reflect together on how humans and robots may co-exist in the future. Program: 16:40–16:45 – Opening Remarks Tatsuhiko Inatani (Professor of Law, Kyoto University) 16:45–17:05 – Keynote Talk "NICOBO: Idea, Design, and Development" Yoichiro Masuda (NICOBO Project Leader, Panasonic Entertainment & Communication Co., Ltd.) 17:05–17:15 – Talk 1 "Rethinking Roboethics: Aesthetics of Existence, Social Transformation, and Agile Governance" Minoru Asada (Vice President, International Professional University of Technology in Osaka; Specially Appointed Professor, The University of Osaka) 17:15–17:25 – Talk 2 "Care and Learning in Human-Robot Interaction: Psychological Mechanisms and Well-Being" Hiroko Kamide (Program-Specific Associate Professor, Kyoto University) 17:25–17:35 – Talk 3 "Cultivating Polyphonic Companionship: Imperfection, Misalignment, and the Making of Robotic Intimacy in Contemporary Japan" Hirofumi Katsuno (Professor of Anthropology, Doshisha University) 17:35–17:55 – General Discussion Moderator: Tatsuhiko Inatani (Professor of Law, Kyoto University) Best regards, Yukie Nagai, on behalf of the organizing committees — Yukie Nagai, Ph.D. Project Professor, The University of Tokyo nagai.yukie@mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp | https://developmental-robotics.jp CREST Cognitive Feelings: https://cognitive-feeling.jp CREST Cognitive Mirroring: https://cognitive-mirroring.org