Concept dictionary
Android
An android is a robot designed to look or behave like a human, a classic older word from AI and science-fiction discussions about artificial people.
- Review state
- Reviewed in POC
- Freshness
- Current
- Version
- 2
Also called
- Android
- Humanoid Robot
Remember it this wayAn android is a robot in human form.
In plain language
An android is a robot whose body or behavior is designed to resemble a person. The resemblance may be visual, physical, or social; it does not mean the machine thinks or feels like a person.
Why it matters
Humanlike form changes how people interpret a machine. It can make interaction easier, but it can also encourage people to overestimate the system’s understanding, agency, or emotional capacity.
Example
A museum uses a human-shaped guide robot that turns its head toward visitors and speaks directions. Its appearance makes it an android, even though its dialogue and movement are tightly limited.
Common misconception
An android is not any robot, and it is not the same thing as Google’s Android operating system. In robotics, the term refers to human resemblance.
Related terms
Sources
- NIST, “A Glossary of Terms for Robotics”provides historical robotics definitions, including android and sensor.
Learn more
- Compare [[robot|Robot]], [[autonomous-system|Autonomous System]], [[embodiment-premium|Embodiment Premium]], and [[ai-overreliance|AI Overreliance]] to place Android in the surrounding system.
- Follow the cited source material above for the method, standard, or research context behind this draft.