uncanny valley

[uhn-kan-ee val-ee]

noun

1. 1. a psychological concept that describes the feelings of unease or revulsion that people tend to have toward artificial representations of human beings, as robots or computer animations, that closely imitate many but not all the features and behaviors of actual human beings.

   2. the dip in positive feelings toward such artificial representations.

Word History and Origins

Origin of uncanny valley¹

1970; coined by Masahiro Mori, Japanese roboticist (born 1927), from Japanese bukimi no tani (genshō) “uncanny valley (phenomenon)”

Example Sentences

But that appears to be changing with the likes of Optimus and sleeker droids which edge us closer to living in an uncanny valley.

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The shiny-faced, spaced-out humans of 2024 have ceded their place to an expanded host of critters, letting Coke dodge the “uncanny valley” where nearly real simulations of people wind up unsettling viewers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A central criticism of AI-generated ads released by big brands like Toys “R” Us and Coca-Cola is that their realistic but slightly imperfect renderings of humans are unsettling, a phenomenon commonly known as the uncanny valley.

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“I think down the line we’ll understand that there’s just something missing. It’s that uncanny valley concept.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In April, Lyonne announced that she’d be directing her first feature film, titled “Uncanny Valley.”

Read more on Salon