Robots with local accents appear more trustworthy and competent to users, research suggests

Whether it's Optimus Prime or the Daleks from Doctor Who, most robots have the same monotonous, automated voice. But research suggests certain groups of people might prefer it if they used a familiar accent or dialect. A study has found that speaking in a local accent can - in certain circumstances - make robots seem more trustworthy and competent. Scientists from the University of Potsdam, in Germany, recruited 120 people living in either Berlin or Brandenburg to take an online survey. They asked participants to watch videos in which a robot using a male human voice spoke either in standard German or the Berlin dialect, which is considered working-class.