This study examines the ethical implications of humanoids with human-like appearances on human attitudes and social relationships from a moral philosophical perspective. While robots have traditionally been developed to assist human labor and convenie...
This study examines the ethical implications of humanoids with human-like appearances on human attitudes and social relationships from a moral philosophical perspective. While robots have traditionally been developed to assist human labor and convenience, the emergence of humanoids capable of emotional interaction raises ethical concerns regarding human-robot relationships. Drawing on Levinas’s philosophy, this study explores the ethical significance of the face as a key mechanism for recognizing otherness and moral responsibility. The human face embodies individuality and identity, and encountering another’s face naturally invokes ethical obligations. However, humanoids with human-like faces may weaken users’ moral awareness. If they replace human interactions, they could reduce social engagement skills and reinforce the objectification of Others. To address these concerns, this study highlights the ethical challenges associated with humanoid facial design and emphasizes the need for regulatory frameworks to preserve human dignity. Establishing clear ethical boundaries in human-humanoid interactions is essential to ensuring that technological advancements do not compromise fundamental human values.