Technologically, we’re in a very interesting place at the moment. We’re on the precipice of many interesting developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, though I’m not really convinced anyone has a clear path or idea about how to actually best use this technology. Development is continuing unabated, and at a remarkable pace, and very likely will keep developing whether or not we actually figure out what we should be doing with all of this stuff, if we can maximize its potential to improve the largest number of lives possible, or if we’re just going to make machines that let people who run corporations destroy jobs and force huge parts of the population into poverty. I guess we just wait and see! Until then, we can enjoy things like Chinese automaker Xpeng’s recent AI Day in Guangzhou, where they showed off a robotaxi and a humanoid robot that walked with remarkable smoothness and, yes, had breasts.
Breasts. You know, like a mammal does. Those must be crucial components for a humanoid robot, right? No need to read more into the possible uses of a humanoid robot that mimics the shape and contours of an actual human body, reflecting a design concept that the company notes has “a humanoid spine, bionic muscles, and fully covered flexible skin, and supports customization for different body shapes.” XPENG explains the company’s philosophy further:
“Whether robots should be human-like” is a topic that has attracted a lot of attention in the industry. XPENG’s answer is to “extreme anthropomorphism”. Because when humanoid robots achieve “extreme anthropomorphism”, how to achieve several major problems that are easier to commercialize, easier to generalize, and easier to obtain training data can be solved.”
You can see the remarkably smooth and human-like way the robots walk and move here:
It’s still a little odd and jerky in places, but it’s also weirdly naturalistic as well. It’s impressive and kind of creepy, all at once, and it’s very hard not to make comparisons to Tesla, which is also an electric carmaker that wants to recast itself as an AI company that makes robotic, self-driving vehicles and humanoid robots, just as XPENG is trying to do. This recent video does seem to show a more advanced walking cycle than Tesla’s Optima robot, which has a gait similar to someone with an unfortunate and generous pantload:
Interestingly, the XPENG robots are described as following Isaac Asimov’s famous Three Laws of Robotics, and have added one additional one,”Privacy data does not leave the robot,” which does seem a very useful addition to the Three Laws.
The partnership with Volkswagen is interesting, and it’s so far not clear if this partnership extends to VW’s global brands or would be limited to VW’s Chinese operations. I think it makes sense for Volkswagen to license an AI automated driving system as opposed to developing one in-house; as things continue to develop in the automated driving space, I suspect standards will become more and more important, predictable behaviors based on inputs, and that favors a fewer number of AI operating systems as opposed to every company attempting to develop their own proprietary systems.
XPENG showed three Level 4-capable robotaxi models, all shrouded in those car-drapes, but all three resemble SUV/Crossover types of profiles and sizes. XPENG does make a very strange six-wheeled electric van that I was sort of expecting to be employed for robotaxi use, but that seems to be part of XPENG’s “flying car” projects, and I’m too sick of flying car “news” that never turns into anything real, so I’m just going to leave that be for now.
The bigger question for all of these things, especially the humanoid robots, is: who are these for, exactly, and what do we want to do with them? The sorts of very anthropomorphic humanoid robots shown at XPENG’s event aren’t really suited for factory work or other sorts of intense physical tasks; these are robots that are designed to replace receptionists and tour guides and other similar sorts of jobs, but does that actually make, you know, sense?
Of course, one can imagine more illicit applications for robots that so carefully mimic human forms, and if XPENG has another explanation for why a robot should have breasts other than to be an object that has some manner of sex appeal, I’d love to hear it. These all have solid-state batteries, but I don’t think the breasts are used to house those.
Would people buy these for their homes? What would they use them for? So far, they haven’t demonstrated a way to deal with common household tasks, at least not in any practical way, though I suppose they will get there. But would you pay $20,000 for a machine to, what, fold clothes and vacuum? Hiring a maid is significantly cheaper and, I suspect, will do a better job, at least in the next decade or so.
As I said, we’re in some strange, transitional times. I think it’s important to remember that we still have some agency here, and should figure out, collectively, what we want from AI and robots, ideally before all the things we don’t want come to pass.
Until then, I guess now is the time to start a business making tube tops for humanoid robots.
The Tesla has pectoral bumps and generally looks masculine for no particular reason.
I’m not convinced they didn’t just put a girl in a suit and faked the whole thing.
As for showing us a ‘robotic lower leg’…? Sure, they put a girl with an amputated leg in a suit and faked the whole thing…
There is already a term for this, it’s “the uncanny valley” and people don’t like it.
I don’t think imitating feminine anatomy is meant to be explicitly…well, explicit. If it is, they’ve chosen a weird way to approach it.
I assume it’s just meant to make them recognizably “feminine”, presumably with the intention of making people see them as less threatening/intimidating, and more subservient? I’m just seeing uncomfortable ideas/culture regarding “gender roles” in this design choice.
Silicon Valley screams in horror.
Or just assumes the Chinese have also realized you can just lie about stuff like that.
I found an old video from The Onion a while back where the parody news program was interrupting various automakers at press conferences, ignoring all the real automotive subjects, and demanding to know about how they were developing flying cars.
I miss the world where the automakers would be confused and frustrated by that line of questioning to make that joke work.
Why on earth would they deliberately program walking to include the fashion model mode of walking of putting each foot on the same line? No human walks that way except on purpose. From a programming, balance, and gait perspective, it is more challenging.
Well, when the robots are driving the cars and get stopped for a DUI they will be able to pass the field sobriety test, so there’s that.
Actually it’s sort of impressive that it can do that, I’d probably have a problem walking like that.
Asimov’s laws of robotics are archaic and fictional. see Mark Tilden’s BEAM laws, and Satya Nadella’s and Frank Pasquelle’s laws for AI. Pasquale’s are notable for being directed at human behavior rather than machine behavior.
of course, all of these “laws” are aspirational paper tigers – there are no rules.
Asimov’s laws of robotics were a plot device, but made a lot of sense.
The reason they were a plot device was because they enabled interesting stories about logic problems and edge cases, topics that are not usually interesting to many people.
Am I the only ONE who thinks this is highly inappropriate. NO THANKS.
If you’re not an exploitative assjerk, $20k doesn’t buy you much more than 4-5 years of housekeeper services. If a $20k robot can do that sort of work 24/7/365, the ROI is very, very quick.
Making it a female human shape is gross on so many levels.
I mean if they wanted to make it a large friendly shape then that’s fine, but yes a tones, in shape and detailed female shape is gross.
Well, isn’t the sex stuff also a bit like household chore. And what a aftermarket/OEM options it makes possible!
Talk of sexbots is intriguing but honestly, if one can rake my leaves, I’m in. No, that’s not a euphemism.
How quickly can they be deployed to my workplace so I can be replaced by one? My sales revenue barely paid for my wages this week. I’M OFFICIALLY OBSOLETE!
The Chinese robots are just humans wearing the outfits and some AI backups. Please tell me Autopian isn’t diving into the fake robots and AI BACKUPS?
Did you see the video of them cutting the “skin” clothes off the one that walked out and then it walking away.
Breasts or ballast? And why is “she” wearing a cup? Am I supposed to verify my age now? The Tesla walks like a senior citizen. I almost invited him to join me for the early bird buffet.