The world has birthed another nightmare robot for us to reckon with before the year ends
Engineered Arts has released a video showing off Ameca, a robot with a distressingly realistic face
Aux Features Robot
2021 is almost over, which means we’re now pretty comfortable making assertions about the year as a whole. For example: A “humanoid robot AI platform” called Ameca is definitely our late entry winner for “Most Horrifying Robot We’ve Witnessed This Calendar Year.”
The above video shows why we’re confident enough to call the competition even with a few weeks left in December. Ameca, which was created by a UK company called Engineered Arts, is described by its Frankensteinian makers as “the world’s most advanced human shaped robot representing the forefront of human-robotics technology.”
It definitely seems to earn that distinction through a demonstration that sees the soulless husk rotating its shoulder before opening its eyes in shock, blinking furiously, then examining its own hands as if horrified by the fact of its own existence. At the end of these movements, it smiles eerily, suddenly pleased by the power it possesses.
Ameca is called “the perfect humanoid robot platform for human-robot interaction,” runs AI and machine learning software, and is based on Engineered Arts’ Mesmer robots, which, if you’re curious, sometimes look like this.
On its website, Engineered Arts says its robots are meant for “science centers, theme parks, and businesses looking to attract a crowd.” It also claims that its “robots make for an experience that visitors, delegates, and audiences will never forget.” Ameca’s twisting face and piercing eyes are a pretty good argument for the truth of this statement.
While Boston Dynamics is still the frontrunner for our ongoing “Most Likely To Create The Robot That Actually Murders You” award, the debut of Ameca makes Engineered Arts a compelling runner-up for that distinction. Unless, of course, Ameca goes on to find love with that chattering dental robot and ends up distracted enough by a new relationship that it forgets to kill our entire species.
[via Nerdist]
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28 Comments
Yea, humans will kill themselves off long before any AI driven robots will. I guess Terminator jokes don’t hit as well anymore at this point. Advancement and progress first, aesthetics can be adjusted later I suppose.
The engineer probably programmed it to call him “Father”, didn’t he?
Or worse, “Daddy”.
It me.
ya me too
Glad I’m not the only one who couldn’t stop looking at that terrifying Skynet dumpster baby.
I see Dr. Wily has been working on his Cutman prototype.
“So how’re we doing on the prototype robot that can feel existential horror?”“Better than we could have imagined, sir.”
I’m sure it’s the product of a lot of hard work, but this is what immediately sprang to mind the instant I saw the image:
Does this mean we get the 3-boobed lady soon?Asking, for a friend.
Polymastia is already a real condition.
But can the robot do butt stuff to me? Asking for a friend.
Fisto is always ready. Now please assume the position.
Soooon….
LOL!
“…it smiles eerily, suddenly pleased by the power it possesses.”Maybe that’s what you see. I see a robot who is expressing a “how can I serve you now?” sentiment.I might add that the robot’s face looks ‘eerily’ like a person of color (at least to me), which is horrifying. Do better with your racism, robot-slave creators.
Most people on Earth are people of color. I think it would have been more racist to make him look like Whitey
We will know that they have become truly self aware when they get all up in your grill for calling them “robots”. Because you don’t get to call them that! That’s THEIR word!!
I saw a grimace futilely trying to hide the existential despair the eyes still revealed.Anyway, offhand that looks to me like one of those attempts to predict what humans will look like after many more generations of ethnic intermarrying. I am not sure going with “looks white” as “normal”/”baseline” for robots is really a better choice, although there may be no good choice.
“I saw a grimace futilely trying to hide the existential despair the eyes still revealed.”Definitely.
The Cylons Were Created By Man.They Rebelled. They Evolved.They Look,And Feel,Human. Some Are Programmed To Think That They Are Human. There Are Many Copies. And They Have A Plan.
It’s Just Not A Very Good Plan.So We’ll Probably Be Okay.Y’know, Eventually.So Say We All.
And They Have A Plan.
And If You Give Us A Few Seasons, We Might Decide What It Is.
The whole design reminds me of Ava from Ex Machina. I wonder if it’s intentional.
Man it starting to feel more and more like I, Robot now. Amazing.
No thank you. An AI constantly surprised by everything around it reminds me of theater school exercises crossed with death by lasers. Not interested at this time.
Disney’s long animatronic arm has inured me to horror. I’ve seen dead presidents and Hondo Ohnaka brought to life. This is nothing.
If you think that face is creepy, wait until you see their new model….