A cowboy hat-wearing robot is running around Austin handing out compliments
A new rootin' tootin' cowboy is taking on Texas, but he's more interested in dishing out heavy-handed compliments than he's apt to ride a horse through the Wild West.
Videos of a child-sized, artificial intelligence-powered robot, running through the streets of Austin, Texas have gone viral on social media. The robot says his name is "Jake the Rizzbot" and sports a cowboy hat, chain, pair of Nike sneakers and sticker across the chest that reads, "In Training." The robot's name is likely based on the Gen Z slang, "rizz," which is short for charisma.
"My homie, that beard's cold and that mustache is hard. You look clean, nephew," the robot says in a video that has garnered more than 33,000 likes on Instagram. "Gee, that black smartwatch is straight iced out and that white tee's banging. You got that clean drip locked down. You got that boss energy, G, and you rockin' it with style. Props to you. You're a solid boss for real."
Muffled giggles can be heard on the other side of the camera as a pair of young women laugh in the background of the video posted by Instagram user Jesse Hernandez.
What is "Jake the Rizzbot" and what is he doing? Here's what we know. See him running around and talking to strangers in the video above.
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What is 'Jake the Rizzbot'?
Underneath the "drip," "Jake the Rizzbot" is a Unitree G1 Humanoid agent AI avatar, starting at $16,000. The 4-foot, 77-pound robot features between 23 to 43 joint motors, allowing it to move its limbs, torso and head similar to that of a human. The avatar features a depth camera and spatial sensor, allowing it to see its environment. And with an 8-core CPU, which is typically necessary for serious gaming, professional video editing and 3D rendering, according to HP, the robot has a lot of juice. It's battery time is about two hours, the Unitree website states.
Unitree did not immediately respond for comment about their AI robots when contacted by USA TODAY on July 1.
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Who is operating 'Jake the Rizzbot'?
The G1 Humanoid agent AI avatar requires a manual operator, the Unitree website states, but Jake's handler hasn't made himself known.
A TikTok account with the username "Rizzbot Official" has posted a few videos of "Jake the Rizzbot," just interacting with the camera, but it is unclear who operates the account.
"Yo, check my drip, humans. Got that fake gold chain swinging on my neck," the robot says in a video posted by the Rizzbot Official TikTok account. "Ready to steal yo girl." As of July 2, the video had about 9,300 views.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
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