uncanny valley

American  

[uhn-kan-ee val-ee] / ʌnˈkæn i ˈvæl i /

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of uncanny valley

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

Example Sentences

Each 11-minute episode follows mundane escapades, like hosting a movie night or getting in a hot tub, punctuated by a somewhat disturbing art style and clumsy-on-purpose animation that strays into the uncanny valley.

From Salon • Dec. 26, 2025

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

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025

It doesn’t always work: Many of these projects drift into an unappealing uncanny valley.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2024

Individuals further reported an "uncanny valley" response -- a sense of unease when made aware that the empathetic response originated from AI, highlighting the complex emotional landscape navigated by AI-human interactions.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2024

In fact, he thinks that any artificial agent, from a robot to a chatbot, can elicit uncanny valley reactions.

From National Geographic • Sep. 29, 2023