THE CES 2024 conference was full of AI robots this year and some of them want to come home with you.
I met several of the most popular bots at the conference and found some creepier than others.
SAMSUNG’S BALLIE
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Samsung was one of the first brands to announce an at home robot assistant at CES 2024.
Fans of the brand may recognize the new Ballie bot as a more advanced version of its predecessor that faced backlash in 2020.
The original Ballie was blasted by critics as creepy.
Samsung’s new version of Ballie is pitched as a friendly assistant that can do many tasks and even save your marriage.
I watched a demonstration during which Ballie was shown reminding a man that it was his anniversary and he should order flowers.
Ballie was also shown helping his owner workout as well as helping in the kitchen.
LG’S Q9
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LG announced a robot that’s similar to Ballie and it’s called Q9.
The small robot is also designed to follow you around the house and respond to your needs.
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Just like Ballie, Q9 can watch your pets for you while you’re out.
It’s also said to be able to greet you at the door and analyze your emotions.
The robot does this by observing your face and voice tone.
If you appear upset it might start playing music to boost your mood.
WEHEAD
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Of all the robot companions I saw, WeHead was by far one of the creepiest to look at.
The design of the bot looks like a distorted head and one of its uses is to combat loneliness by giving humans an AI persona to talk to.
A representative for WeHead, Svitlana Rahimova, explained that the unusual facial design is based on smartphones.
She told me, “We are looking for options to make it smoother.”
The AI expert also explained how the robot can actually act as a non-judgemental friend.
“When I talk to this AI persona, I found out that I’m creative because I am talking and it’s cool for self-reflection,” Rahimova added.
“It’s not just for loneliness. I would say it’s more like a thought partner.
“It’s like journalling when you’re writing down, instead you’re just talking.
“It gives you a lot of information about yourself.
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“A friend who is always creative, with no judgment.”
Users just have to look at the WeHead robot and start talking and the machine listens and replies quickly, just like a regular conversation.”
