Interacting with humanoid robot is fun, but it also feels a little creepy

At MWC 2024, I got a chance to interact with the humanoid robot and the experience was extraordinary. What I am most surprised about is the striking resemblance between humans and the robot in terms of facial expressions, conversing and more.Have you ever imagined having a conversation with a humanoid robot? If the answer is yes, then I can tell you it is way too much fun to chat with a human robot.

Engineered Arts, which is a British company, showed off its second-generation Ameca robot at MWC 2024. It is the most advanced human-robot yet because it is powered by GPT 4, the latest Large Language Model (LLM) by OpenAI, also used by Microsoft's Copilot.

At MWC 2024, I got a chance to interact with the humanoid robot and the experience was extraordinary. What I am most surprised about is the striking resemblance between humans and the robot in terms of facial expressions, conversing and more. Engaging in conversations felt remarkably natural. Since it is powered by ChatGPT, you can ask it any question and it can quickly answer it.

The facial expressions are quite real. It can smile, dance, or even converse with you like a human. It can basically be your friend. The eyes of the robot almost seem very human-like and the expressions that it gives are very REAL. When you are looking at the robot for more than 2 seconds, it stares at you and feels a little creepy.

The robot has cameras in its eyes and a microphone is incorporated in the ears that are not visible to users. The second generation robot operates on battery and it needs to be connected to the internet as well. The wired charging option is also available for a different model.

But, as these humanoid robots become more integrated into our daily lives, questions arise regarding the ethical implications of human-robot interactions. How do we ensure that these robots are programmed to prioritize human safety and well-being? What measures are in place to prevent misuse or manipulation of these technologies? And perhaps most importantly, what impact will prolonged interactions with humanoid robots have on human psychology and social dynamics?