ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction Special Issue on Robo-Identity: Designing for Identity in the Converging World of Humans and Machines Guest Editors: Minha Lee, Eindhoven University of Technology, m.lee@tue.nl Dimosthenis Kontogiorgos, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, dkonto@mit.edu Andre Pereira, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, atap@kth.se One emerging challenge in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) research is to extensively explore the fluidity of identities across devices and technologies and how we share our identity with robots' identities. Understanding both human and artificial identities and investigating the why, when, and how they reside in an artificial body are compelling but still underexplored topics. The concept of robot identity has attracted research attention, be it identities represented on various forms of humanoid robots or more abstract designs. Beyond physical attributes, it is important to delve into the nature of robot identity in society, such as how human identities can interact with and be developed alongside robot identities. The special issue follows the topic of human and non-human identities, which has been explored through a series of three Robo-Identity workshops at the HRI conference since 2021. This burgeoning topic attracts interdisciplinary researchers, ranging from engineers and designers to philosophers, demonstrating traction across various fields and subfields that touch upon HRI. Focus points include strategies for robots or other forms of artificial agents to analyze and synthesize human identity over time, techniques for evolving artificial identities, the appropriateness of adapting identities across multiple embodiments, and the presentation of non-human identity as co-evolving with human identities. We see a pressing need for a more comprehensive investigation into the allocation and nature of identities within robotic or other artificial entities. Building on existing work on multi-embodiment, we can foster collaborative discourse on the intricate problem of artificial identity or robo-identity, catalyzed by the proliferation of diverse interfaces and agents. Additionally, we aim to deepen discussions around balancing a distinct machine-like identity, such as robotic speech, versus embracing blurred boundaries between human and machine, such as emotionally expressive speech and dialogue that sounds human-like. Lastly, it is timely to explore strategies for designing robots capable of adapting to the evolving identities of individuals and groups, methods for accommodating changing human needs and preferences, and approaches for analyzing and synthesizing human identity over time, reflecting the dynamic nature of robo-identity within societal contexts. Hence, we expect this special issue to attract diverse contributions on the broad topic of identity. By exploring the fluidity of identity, researchers and practitioners can contribute to creating technologies that not only accommodate diverse societal needs but also actively work towards mitigating biases and promoting inclusivity. We propose this special issue to provide a platform to incentivize further development and further disseminate research on identity. Topics Exploring the multifaceted concept of artificial identity and its implications in the shared world. We invite original research contributions, theoretical perspectives, datasets, case studies, and reviews that address various aspects of identity, including but not limited to the following topics: Definitions and frameworks for understanding identity Designing systems as identity hosts Techniques for synthesizing and evolving artificial identities Implications of modalities (e.g., synthetic voice and emotional expressions) on identity Exploration of artificial identity in diverse forms and bodies Promoting inclusivity or mitigating social biases through the design of artificial identities Strategies for robots to analyze and synthesize human identity over time Adapting to the fluidity of human identities over time with robots and artificial agents Personalized engagement and adaptation to changing user needs and preferences and multimodality Applications of identity-aware robots in education, healthcare, or entertainment Methodology and systems that support identity migration/re-embodiment Balancing machine-like vs. human-like identities in design and interaction Ethical, societal, and privacy considerations in designing, presenting, and interacting with artificial identities Exploring psychological impacts and philosophical discussions on identity Evaluation and user studies on the perception, acceptance, and impact of artificial identities Cross-cultural and long-term studies on the evolution of human-robot relationships and identities Interdisciplinary approaches to studying and designing artificial identities Important Dates Submissions deadline: January 5, 2025 First-round review decisions: April 5, 2025 Deadline for revision submissions: July 5, 2025 Notification of second decision: September 5, 2025 Deadline for revisions: December 5, 2025 Notification of final decisions: January 15, 2026 Tentative publication: February 15, 2026 Submission Information ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary, open-access journal using an online submission and manuscript tracking system. We welcome contributions from researchers and practitioners across various disciplines to enrich the discourse on this important topic. Papers should be formatted according to the guidelines of the THRI journal and submitted through the online submission system. THRI does not have a page limit, but the submission length should suggest the weight of its contribution. Please check out the THRI author guidelines (https://dl.acm.org/journal/thri/author-guidelines). To submit your paper, please: 1. Go to https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/thri and login or follow the "Create an account" link to register. 2. After logging in, click the "Author" tab. 3. Follow the instructions to "Start New Submission" 4. Choose the paper type "SI: Robo-Identity: Designing for Identity in the Converging World of Humans and Machines. For questions and further information, please contact m.lee@tue.nl, dkonto@mit.edu or atap@kth.se.