Cog was a project at the Humanoid Robotics Group of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was based on the hypothesis that human-level intelligence requires gaining experience from interacting with humans, like human infants do. This in turn requires many interactions with humans over a long period. Because Cog's behavior responds to what humans would consider appropriate and socially salient environmental stimuli, the robot is expected to act more human. This behavior also provides the robot with a better context for deciphering and imitating human behavior. This is intended to allow the robot to learn socially, as humans do.
As of 2003, all development of the project has ceased.
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One motivation for making humanoid robots can be understood in the book Philosophy in the Flesh by Mark Johnson and George Lakoff. They argue that the contents of human thoughts are to some degree dependent on the physical structure of our brains. By constructing artificial intelligence systems that have structural features similar to those of humans, we may be more likely to achieve human-like functionality.
Another motivation for building humanoid robotic systems is that a machine with a human-like form may have more human-like interactions with people. This could be particularly important for an artificial intelligence device to learn from people in the way that human children learn through interactions within a social group.
Cog appeared in the Understanding television series episode "The Senses".