The uncanny valley is a concept in the field of robotics and computer science that refers to the discomfort or unease that people may feel when they encounter an artificial intelligence or robot that is almost, but not quite, human-like in its appearance or behavior. The term was coined by the Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in 1970.
According to the concept of the uncanny valley, as an artificial intelligence or robot becomes more human-like, people's sense of familiarity and comfort with it increases. However, when the artificial intelligence or robot reaches a certain level of human-like appearance or behavior, the sense of familiarity and comfort begins to drop off rapidly. This dip in familiarity and comfort is referred to as the uncanny valley.
The uncanny valley effect is thought to be related to people's inherent need for social and emotional connection, and their natural discomfort with things that are unfamiliar or seemingly out of place. It has implications for the design and development of artificial intelligence and robots, as well as for their use in a variety of applications.