Artificial Companions in Society: Perspectives on the Present and Future A Forum held at the Oxford Internet Institute (University of Oxford, 1 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3JS, UK) on Friday, 26 October 2007. Session 1: Philosophical conditions for being a Companion Stephen Pulman (University of Oxford Comlab) Margaret Boden (University of Sussex, Cogs) Luciano Floridi (University of Oxford, University of Hertfordshire) Session 2: Building a first Companion Aaron Sloman (University of Birmingham, CS) Catherine Pelachaud (Universite de Paris 8, INRIA) Elisabeth Andre (Universitaet Augsburg) Alan Newell (University of Dundee) Daniela M. Romano (University of Sheffield) Session 3: Lovers, slaves, tutors or personal trainers? Will Lowe (University of Nottingham) David Levy (Intelligent Toys, London) Joanna Bryson (University of Bath) Chris Davies & Rebecca Eynon (University of Oxford, Education) Session 4: Companions as ways of understanding ourselves and society. Kieron O’Hara (University of Southampton, CS) Alan Winfield (University of West of England, Robotics) Roddy Cowie (Queens University, Belfast) Alex Taylor & Laurel Swan (Microsoft, Cambridge & Brunel University) Joanie Gillespie (author ‘Cyberrules’)