Coded Creepiness (Part 1/4): Companion Robots

Welcome to this week’s Deep-Fried Dive with Fry Guy! In these long-form articles, Fry Guy conducts in-depth analyses of cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) developments and developers. Today, Fry Guy dives into a company creating physical robotic companions. We hope you enjoy!

*Notice: We do not receive any monetary compensation from the people and projects we feature in the Sunday Deep-Fried Dives with Fry Guy. We explore these projects and developers solely to showcase interesting and cutting-edge AI developments and uses.*

It is no surprise that AI use is exploding left and right, giving rise to stories of all kinds. Some stories are encouraging, like AI improving medical diagnostics. Other stories are controversial, like AI’s use in the military. But some stories are … a bit bizarre.

In this series, we are going to be exploring some untold AI stories that might blow your mind and cause your imagination to run wild. Beware, because they might be a bit creepy.

ROBOTS WITH A HUMAN TOUCH

In the quiet suburbs of Nevada, a company called Realbotix is revolutionizing human-robot interaction in ways that might make you question everything you know about humanoid robots. Their creations are not just typical robots, however, like Tesla’s Optimus or Boston Dynamics’ Atlas. Rather, these are sophisticated androids built specifically for human interactions. As the company states, “Our mission is to create robots and AI that are indistinguishable from humans in appearance and social interaction.” To accomplish this mission, Realbotix equips their robots with lifelike features, each meant to aid in the task of forming emotional connections with humans. These features include both the physical appearance and the AI-powered brain.

Starting with physical appearance, the face is equipped with 14 distinct movement points, allowing the bots to create expressions so realistic they can make users forget they are looking at a machine. But Realbotix not only makes the face look realistic, they also put details into the body. The company designs modular body features that allow for natural movements, similar to that of a human.

One of the craziest features of these robots is that they can be customized to the liking of the client. Forget build-a-bear: this is build-a-boyfriend! Not to mention, the pieces of these bots are interchangeable. Getting bored with how your AI companion looks? Don’t worry, the face and body parts can be swapped out, so you can modify the look to your liking.

Beyond the human-like appearance and movements of the robots, these androids are covered with the company’s patented silicon skin, which provides a soft human touch indistinguishable from that of human skin. This allows the bots to give that “human touch” we often desire from relationships.

Although the physical appearance is super cool, these robots go beyond looks; they are also empowered with sophisticated AI technology. But these robots are not just chatbots in robot form. They are equipped with multimodal control systems that include high quality audio and microcamera visual recognition capabilities. This enables them to process speech and recognize faces. The robots are also equipped with memory, enabling them to learn about the individuals they interact with and engage in meaningful conversations unique to the users. They can reference past conversations, follow up about a user’s interests, and more.

The company has developed several notable models of their robots, including Aria, their flagship model and brand ambassador of the company. She has quickly become popular, and has even been interviewed on major news networks.

WHAT’S THE POINT?

Realbotix’s vision for these robots is that they can serve multiple purposes.

1. Media and entertainment

Realbotix envisions these AI-powered robots as interactive guides at tourist centers and museums, lively entertainment at amusement parks, or as a figurehead for a company to use to create media content around—these robots could play unique roles in entertainment and marketing.

2. Corporate services

According to Realbotix, these robots might be used in company roles such as trainers or receptionists, acting as a human-like enforcer of corporate policies and messaging. This would balance a human touch with consistent, controllable, and customizable procedures.

3. Healthcare

Realbotix thinks these robots could offer a helpful combination of human touch and advanced data processing to excel alongside humans in healthcare settings. Additionally, the company believes its patented silicone skin technology could be useful in areas like prosthetics.

4. Rentals

Realbotix allows people to rent custom robots for events. These robots can imitate celebrities or be designed for any purpose that one can imagine, tailored to the purposes of the events. Want Elton John to sing a song at your birthday party? You might not be able to get the real person, but a robot clone might be the next best thing.

5. Companionship

Realbotix believes that its robots can provide excellent companions for people who are lonely. The company states, “Our companionship-based AI makes our robots perfectly suited for the home. Created to be social, our robots and AI are ideal to tackle North America’s staggering loneliness epidemic and serve to provide company to the elderly or those isolated for health or geographic reasons.”

AUTHENTIC CONNECTIONS?

Early testers and users of Realbotix technology have expressed strong, emotional connections with these robots, even while fully aware that they are interacting with machines. Some users have found comfort in having someone who’s always in a good mood and is attentive to their opinions and needs. Others reported that talking to their robot companion has boosted their confidence and provided emotional support during difficult times. These testimonies offer hope for Realbotix bots to deal with human loneliness.

Although some people may have a positive experience with these robots, it is likely that many find them a bit odd, or even disturbing. One could also question whether the “connections” that are being made are even genuine. The cure to loneliness, one might say, needs to be rooted in human-to-human interaction. There seems to be something less-than-fulfilling about developing our deepest connections with those who are not like us—those who are not human. Seeking connections with robots, then, might exacerbate loneliness rather than alleviating it. Not to mention, if these robots become popular enough, it might transform the way humans engage in relationships with each other. If people could customize the looks of their partners and friends, who always listen to them and never complain, why would they ever bother dealing with flawed humans? As a result, human-to-human relationships could change forever, and maybe not for the better.

PUMPING THE BRAKES

Before you start getting too creeped out, it is worth mentioning that Realbotix has a long way to go. Although these robots have the potential to become extremely interesting, they are not worth freaking out about (quite yet).

For starters, there is a huge price tag on these robots, making widespread adoptability unlikely in the near future. Realbotix offers three products. The first product is just a talking head, which costs $10K. If you want to be a little bit less (or more) creepy, you can get a modular robot with a paneled body. This costs $150K, and offers full capabilities except for bodily mobility, as the body can be taken apart, making travel easier. If you want the full, walking and talking robot, you will have to pay $200K.

Furthering the issue for Realbotix is that these robots are not quite as realistic as advertised. On the hardware side, these robots still look like … well, robots. The human-like skin texture is uncanny, but the blank stare they give and the way the face moves would not fool anyone. Not to mention, the physical movements of the joints need to be improved tremendously. It seems more work needs to be done in this regard.

On the software side, these robots might be able to engage in conversations, but the responses are incredibly delayed, sometimes up to 8 seconds. If these robots want to foster connections with humans, they will need to communicate much faster and more seamlessly. Additionally, the voices sound more like Siri than they do a genuine human being. For these robots to gain widespread adoption, Realbotix will need to improve upon these features.

It’s worth mentioning that areas such as quick responses and voice generation have broadly seen improvement across the AI industry. Take GPT 4o, for instance. OpenAI has implemented a plethora of human-sounding voices and features that allow for more seamless conversations, allowing users to interrupt someone who is talking, for instance. If Realbotix is able to make a deal with a major tech player or leverage open-source technology, the company may be able to make these needed breakthroughs.

READY TO GET YOUR ROBOT?

Are you ready to get your Realbotix robot? It might be your company’s new employee, your new best friend, or even your special someone! First, you will need $200K. Then, you will need to learn how to get over the fact that you might be getting some strange looks when you go out on your next dinner date. But hey, at least you won’t be lonely anymore.