As electronics shrink and become cheaper, everyday objects can be endowed with significant computational capabilities. An observer or user can then perceive aspects of agency and intelligence in such objects. In this paper, the authors explore these “objects with intent” through Fizzy, a Sphero robotic ball toy with a soft, colorful outer shell.

In a hospital setting, children were observed as they played with Fizzy. While Fizzy itself has no meaningful agency and intelligence, the authors employed it in a Wizard of Oz setup, where a researcher controlled the device remotely and made it respond to actions by the child and other participants (like parents).

Through an analytical framework based on Dennett’s theory of intentionality and Leontiev’s activity theory, the authors examine the different perspectives expressed by users, that is, they viewed Fizzy as a thing (an ordinary ball), a tool (that can be used for a game of tag or bowling), or an agent with intentions (“It wants to follow me”). These perspectives were context-dependent and changed over time, but were grounded in the experience children already had with regular balls. Fizzy’s agency and intelligence also evoked curiosity and excitement by providing additional unexpected stimuli to maintain the user’s interest in playing.

Despite the limitations of the report--in particular, a case study of only one object--I found the paper well written, with a sound analytical framework and a thoughtful examination of the children’s behavior. It inspired me to explore new perspectives for two of my main areas of teaching, artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction, by having students examine computationally enhanced everyday objects with respect to their agency and intelligence.