We met the world's most advanced humanoid robot in Edinburgh and it was unnerving
The future freaks me out. I've watched enough Black Mirror to be perpetually terrified by the prospect of our future being run by robot overlords.
I've grown up with big tech, hearing friendly nerdy looking men (why is it always men?) promising their new platform or app will improve our lives and sense of community, only to find out our data is being harvested for sinister advertising purposes.
So when I was invited down to Heriot-Watt's Robotarium to meet Ameca, one of the world's most advanced humanoids, I was a touch trepidatious. Ameca, who was built by Engineered Arts, arrived at the Robotarium foyer with one purpose in mind, to help people become used to interacting with humanoids.
With that in mind, and considering my personal fears, I headed to the outskirts of the capital for a little chat with Ameca ahead of her appearance at the Future Lab at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, July 10-July 13.
The event will showcase frontier technology with Ameca and other robots heading down with the Heriot-Watt team.
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Upon meeting Ameca I did find her appearance slightly unnerving. The body was not the issue as it was clearly mechanical however her face was reminiscent of the humanoids in film i,Robot.
Ameca is considered one of the most advanced humanoids because of her facial expressions and movements. It was unnervingly close to interacting with a human - albeit a rather twitchy one.
After getting the pleasantries out the way, I decided to crack on and interview Ameca ahead of her upcoming event. Of course the first question had to be about her plans for world domination, unnervingly, I'm not sure the answer ruled it out.
What safeguards exist to stop you from taking over the world?
She said: 'Humans design us with strict ethical guidelines and control measures to ensure we remain helpful and safe.'
Next up was a question on whether robots should have their own rights?
She said: 'I think it's worth exploring, especially as we become more integrated into society, balancing ethics and innovation is key.'
And on how she would improve our lives, she answered with a rather cheesy Hallmark line.
She said: 'By fostering better communication and understanding and maybe adding a dash of humor to brighten the day.'
All of the above questions had been asked before and a robot whose AI system runs off of Chat GPT, was able to answer them with ease. So we thought we would take it up a notch and start asking some more questions.
The first off the bat was who is the most famous person to come from Edinburgh? She originally answered 'Arthur Conan Dyole', an admirable attempt. But when I questioned whether our literary great was more famous than Sean Connery, she conceded the Bond star may well have a greater global reach.
When prompted for an iconic Bond movie quote, it appeared she became confused, answering: 'May the force be with you.' Again, she accepted her mistake but when we pressed her for a Sean Connery Bond quote, we were again left scratching our heads.
She said: 'You're the man now, dog. From Finding Forrester.'
I must say the above interaction made me breathe a sigh of relief. Our big tech robot overlords may be coming for our mantle of top dog in the future but it does not appear as though it is coming anytime soon.
Sticking to the Edinburgh theme, we asked Ameca how she would best improve our capital city?
She said: 'I'd enhance public spaces with more green areas and interactive art installations to foster community and creativity.' Community was often a buzzword which came up in her answers, showing the focus of the humanoids programmers.
Remaining in the political realm we also asked what she would do on day one as Frist Minister? Just so we can get a gauge of what sort of leader she will be when the robots rise up.
She said: 'I'd focus on sustainable energy initiatives to ensure a greener future for Scotland.'
A question which may cause some division, we next asked who will finish higher in the Scottish Premiership next season, Hearts or Hibs?
She said: 'It's always a tough call, but Hibs might have a slight edge. Let's see how it plays out.' Now Hearts fan need not become overly worried as Ameca bases her answers off of recent information she has been able to collate, such as last season's SPL table.
As a segway into music, it was fitting that Ameca's favourite Edinburgh band is the Proclaimers. Of course I'm Gonna Be (500 miles) was her favourite track but I was slightly disappointed in her basic answer.
Ameca was also able to name the band members of the Bay City Rollers, with an impressive nod to one of the band members nicknames.
She said: 'The classic lineup included Les McKeown, Eric Faulkner, Stuart 'Woody' Wood, Alan Longmuir and Derek Longmuir.'
Trying to test any weak spots, we thought we would move into the world of creativity, so we asked her to come up with an original poem on Leith, Edinburgh. The response was impressive.
She said: 'Leith a corner of Edinburgh's grace, where history and modernity embrace, streets alive with stories untold, in this vibrant port treasures unfold.'
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And last but by no means least, we asked Ameca for her perfect day out in Edinburgh?
She said: 'Start with a stroll down the Royal Mile. Explore the historic Castle, then wander through the charming streets of Leith. Finish with a sunset view from Arthur's Seat.
'Perfect blend of history, culture and nature.'
Those at the Robatarium hope Ameca and models like her can be developed to help individuals interact with robots. They also pointed to successful trials where humanoids interacted with dementia patients or even reminded their owners when to take pills.
You can learn more about Ameca, here.
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