QSS, the AI firm answerable for the Saudi humanoid robotic accused of groping a feminine reporter, has defended the robotic’s actions, claiming there have been “no deviations from expected behavior.” The incident occurred through the DeepFest convention in Riyadh, the place attendees have been reportedly warned to not stand too near the robotic, referred to as “Android Muhammad.”
In a video capturing the incident, the robotic is seen standing beside a female-attired robotic and two reporters, one male and one feminine. The Muhammad robotic seems to succeed in in the direction of the feminine journalist, briefly lifting the again of her blazer. The reporter, Rawya Kassem, reacts in shock, gesturing for the robotic to cease.
Saudi Arabia unveils its man formed AI robotic Mohammad, reacts to reporter in its first look pic.twitter.com/1ktlUlGBs1
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QSS prompt that the robotic might have been making an attempt to encourage Kassem to step ahead on the stage, doubtlessly stopping her from falling off a brief pedestal. The firm emphasised that it had knowledgeable all attendees, together with reporters, to keep up a protected distance from the robotic throughout its demonstration.
Despite issues raised by the incident, QSS performed an inside assessment of the footage and circumstances, concluding that there have been no sudden behaviors. However, the corporate acknowledged it will implement further measures to stop related incidents sooner or later.
The response from QSS parallels frequent defenses seen in allegations of sexual misconduct, the place inside investigations typically discover no wrongdoing and blame is shifted onto the victims. This incident highlighted the complexities surrounding human-robot interactions and underscored the necessity for clear pointers and safeguards in such interactions.
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