Saudi Arabia’s First Male Humanoid Robot’s ‘Groping’ Incident Sparks Debate
The development of robotics technology, especially humanoids, has always ignited the fear of systems taking away human jobs in the future. However, little did people assume that such systems could mimic some forms of human behavior that are not desirable.
Now, a humanoid robot developed by a Saudi Arabian artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics company was seen touching a female reporter inappropriately has sparked a strong debate on social media.
The incident happened at DeepFest, a premier technology event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the nation’s first ‘male’ humanoid robot, Mohammad.
Saudi Arabia unveils its man shaped AI robot Mohammad, reacts to reporter in its first appearance pic.twitter.com/1ktlUlGBs1
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) March 6, 2024
An undesired action or a mistake?
The “latest marvel in robotics” was created by the Saudi firm named QSS. Wearing a red keffiyeh and dressed traditionally, Mohammad spoke Arabic during its preview at the technology event.
“I am Mohammad, the first Saudi robot in the form of a man. I was manufactured and developed here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a national project to demonstrate our achievements in the field of artificial intelligence,” said the first bilingual male Saudi-made humanoid robot on the Main Stage at DeepFest.
During a live presentation, Lebanese journalist and TV news anchor Rawya Kassem found herself in an unexpected situation when she stood before Mohammad, the AI robot. As she delivered her segment, Mohammad made an improper attempt to touch her, catching Kassem off guard. Reacting swiftly, Kassem turned towards the robot, expressing her disapproval while continuing to complete her job.
However, following the improper exchange, the video soon became widely popular for all the wrong reasons. Some questioned the code, and one X user called the robot a “pervert.”
As a response to the incident, its makers claim that Mohammad is “fully autonomous,” and he was functioning “independently without direct human control.”
Many viewers also suggested that the robot might have been trying to persuade Kassem to move forward or giving her a welcome hand after she introduced herself to the robot rather than something more nefarious.
“We have already conducted a thorough review of the footage and the circumstances surrounding the incident and there was no deviations from the expected behavior of Mohammad, however, we will take additional measures to prevent anyone getting close to the Robot within its areas of movement,” said QSS.
Taking the AI-humanoid game forward
Mohammad is an evolution of Sara, the first ever humanoid robot developed in Saudia Arabia. QSS’ robot is multilingual; it can communicate, take orders, and respond to queries in multiple languages. The robot can move her hands, neck, and upper torso in addition to expressing emotions and making facial expressions.
Artificial intelligence is used via a built-in camera to identify when a person is in front of the robot. Whenever someone says “Hello Sara,” it will strike up a conversation.
Using a pre-trained model, Sara can identify dialects spoken throughout the country, analyze phrases to determine their meaning, and then offer the appropriate response by sending it as text.
“Born from the innovative spirit of Saudi Arabia’s robotics community, Sara embodies a blend of cutting-edge technology and cultural significance,” according to the QSS website.
The Saudi incident serves as a striking reminder that AI and humanoid robot systems require extensive rounds of training and simulations before being considered for widespread use among the public.
