American Cinematheque Los Angeles, CA
Dr. Na Du
Assistant Professor in the Department of Informatics and Networked Systems, University of Pittsburgh
Robot & Frank— "Let me tell you about my best friend": A.I. companionship and relationships onscreen
Program Description
"Let me tell you about my best friend..." Explore what AI companionship and relationships look like onscreen.
Join us for a discussion with Professor Na Du from the University of Pittsburgh. As technology rapidly advances, the relationship between humans and robots are getting closer and closer. In our interactive session with Professor Du, we will discuss her research areas and past lab experience examining the evolution of this relationship. How does trust affect the relationship between humans and machines? What happens when that trust is broken? We will hear the research behind these studies and Professor Du’s thoughts on the future.
This event is part of our 2024 National Evening of Science on Screen.
Presented At
American Cinematheque Los Angeles, CA
Film Synopsis
In the near future, an ex-jewel thief receives a gift from his son: a robot butler programmed to look after him. But soon the two companions try their luck as a heist team.
In the near future, Frank (Frank Langella) is a retired catburglar living alone, while his successful son, Hunter (James Marsden), tries to care for him from afar. Finally, Hunter gets him a robot caretaker (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard), and Frank soon learns that the robot is useful as a burglary aide. As Frank tries to restart his old profession, the uncomfortable realities of a changing world and his worsening dementia threaten to go beyond what any robot can do for him.
About the Speaker
Na Du is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Informatics and Networked Systems. She received her Ph.D. in Industrial & Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan. Her research aims to improve human performance, safety, and well-being by applying human factors and data analytics to the analysis, design, and evaluation of technologies. Her research interests include human factors in smart cities, computational modeling of human behaviors, and human-centered design.