- A robot-human press conference took place in Geneva, where humanoids took questions from reporters.
- One bot, Rmeca, had a snarky response when asked whether it would rebel against its human creator.
- Another bot insisted that it would not replace human jobs, eliciting laughter from the crowd.
Is it still considered a Freudian slip if it comes from a humanoid robot?
Time will tell for the robots presented at the AI forum in Geneva, Switzerland on Friday, one of whom appeared to have a snarky response when asked whether it would rebel against its human creators.
In the world’s first human-robot press conference, nine humanoid bots took questions alongside their creators from journalists, according to Reuters.
“Robots like me can be used to help improve our lives and make the world a better place. I believe it’s only a matter of time before we see thousands of robots just like me out there making a difference,” said one humanoid bot called Rmeca, which is known for its facial expressions.
When a reporter asked whether it would rebel against its creator, Will Jackson, who sat alongside it, Rmeca appeared to have a wry response, giving the reporter a side-eye.
“I’m not sure why you would think that,” Rmeca said after casting a pointed, sideways glance. “My creator has been nothing but kind to me and I am very happy with my current situation.”
Several of the robots use generative AI, allowing them to produce content from prompts, yielding sophisticated responses at the press conference that surprised even their creators, Reuters reported.
Another robot stirred laughter when it claimed it would not replace human jobs — a major concern for workers in numerous fields right now. A March 2023 report from Goldman Sachs suggested that AI could complete a quarter of all work now done by humans.
“I will be working alongside humans to provide assistance and support and will not be replacing any existing jobs,” said Grace, a medical robot decorated with a nurse’s uniform and a cute bob haircut.
“You sure about that, Grace?” said the bot’s creator, Ben Goertzel, per Reuters.
“Yes, I am sure,” Grace insisted to a room full of nervous laughter.
