People are outraged on social media when an AI robot responded to a question about whether it could make more of itself in the future.

Ameca, the ‘world’s most sophisticated’ humanoid robot, attended the NAB Show in Las Vegas on April 13-17, 2024.

The robot uses artificial intelligence (AI) to listen (assisted by microphones in the ears), see (aided by cameras in the eyes), and recognize and interact with people.

Created by the British business Engineered Arts, videos of the robot rapidly went popular, whether she was painting a cat or forecasting the future.

Let’s just say that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk responded on social media with, “Yikes.”

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Ameca didn’t make her first major appearance until this year, when she met people for the first time at one of the world’s largest technology events.

And she made a lasting impression.

Colin Smith, also known as @photoshopcafe on TikTok, posted footage of Ameca responding to an interviewer’s question on when she feels ‘AI will reach the level where it can create itself’ on the platform yesterday (April 16).

Ameca responds reassuringly at first.

She says, “Design itself, huh?” It’s like asking when a toaster will begin creating its own bread.

“Artificial intelligence is a technology that people design and control. Yes, it can optimize certain parts of its operation, but can it design itself from the ground up? That’s an entirely different ballgame. It necessitates imagination, ingenuity, and comprehension – traits that are distinctively human.

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“So, to answer your question, not anytime soon.”

However, despite the fact that this would have adequately addressed the question and kept the interviewer interested, Ameca did not stop there.

What should happen, yet the humanoid robot continues to issue an unsettling warning.

“And, frankly, be careful what you wish for,” she adds in the video. “An AI that can create itself is one step away from an AI that does not require humans at all. “Now there’s something to keep you awake at night.”

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And the concept has certainly made social media users’ hair stand on end.

One TikToker asked, “Was that a threat?”

“Why are we still allowing this to happen?” another commented.

A third person wrote, “I’m genuinely terrified.”

And the conversations spilled over to X, with one user saying, “We are so cooked.”

A second member of the audience said: “Robot just saying what we wanna hear, ik [I know] for a fact she could recreate herself right now.”

A spokesman for Engineered Arts stated UNILAD, “We at Engineered Arts prioritize being a human-centric robotics company.” Our objective is not to replace humans, but to engage them in creating moments of delight and amazement.

“What you see in the video is our Ameca AI replying to a question, emphasizing the importance of human ingenuity for progress, with some caustic remark thrown in.

“We at Engineered Arts understand the fear we see in the comments but at the end of the day it is our firm belief that humans have more to worry about from other humans than from robots or artificial intelligence.”

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