What does Uncanny Valley mean?
The unsettling feeling from human-like replicas
Detailed Explanation
The 'uncanny valley' is a concept used to describe the feeling of unease or revulsion that people experience when they see a robot or animation that looks almost, but not exactly, like a real human. The 'valley' is the dip in our affinity for the replica when it gets too close to lifelike without achieving it. In internet slang, it's used to describe anything (like a CGI character, a doll, or a heavily filtered photo) that is unsettlingly close to human.
Usage Examples
“The CGI in that old movie looks so creepy, it's deep in the uncanny valley.”
“That robot is so realistic it gives me an uncanny valley feeling.”
“Her face is so heavily edited that it's entered the uncanny valley.”
Origin & History
The term was coined by Japanese robotics professor Masahiro Mori in 1970. His hypothesis described the graph of people's affinity for robots as their human-likeness increases. The concept was adopted by internet culture as a perfect descriptor for a common feeling evoked by digital media.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the uncanny valley happen?
The leading theory is that the near-human replica triggers a part of our brain that detects abnormalities and potential signs of disease or death in other humans, causing a sense of revulsion as a self-preservation instinct.