>
There are countless science fiction films about humanoid robots, but so far robot actors have yet to star in their own films.
Luckily for human actors, that future may still be a long way off, as the world’s most advanced humanoid robot shows off his acting skills in this creepy clip.
Ameca, a product of the engineers at Cornwall-based startup Engineered Arts, was asked to give an impression of a film.
“All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain,” Ameca said, quoting Blade Runner as he moved through a series of humanoid expressions.
There was even a faint movie soundtrack in the background, adding some much-needed drama to the robot’s performance.
Ameca, a product of the engineers at Cornwall-based startup Engineered Arts, was asked to give an impression of a film
In a choice that will upset fans of classic sci-fi, Ameca has chosen to quote the iconic monologue from the 1982 classic Blade Runner.
In the film, the lines were delivered by the murderous android Roy Batty, played by Rutger Hauer, the leader of a group of renegade humanoid robots.
By combining advances in robotics with AI language models such as ChatGPT-3, Ameca can provide realistic conversational responses in addition to a wide range of gestures and expressions.
Engineered Arts says Ameca is designed as a “platform for development into future robotics technologies,” offering companies the chance to “develop and showcase your biggest machine learning interactions.”
On social media, some commenters were impressed by Ameca’s performance, with one user saying: ‘Ameca is so cool! Amazing how quickly it responded’.
‘I can’t wait to see Ameca in a movie!’ wrote another impressed commenter, adding, “It will definitely happen.”
In a choice that will upset fans of classic sci-fi, Ameca has chosen to quote the iconic monologue from the 1982 classic Blade Runner. In the film, the lines were delivered by the murderous android Roy Batty, played by Rutger Hauer, the leader of a group of renegade humanoid robots.
Others were less impressed with Ameca’s acting skills. One commenter wrote: ‘I don’t think they’ll be doing acting roles anytime soon.’
Another particularly harsh critic was even less enthusiastic about the prospect of AI actors, writing: ‘let’s pull the plug on that monstrosity while we still can! Hasn’t anyone seen the movie THE TERMINATOR?’
However, any dreams that the makers of Ameca have about taking over the film industry will have to be put on hold following the agreement between the Hollywood unions of screenwriters and industry executives.
Hailed as a victory in the battle between humans and AI, the Writers Guild of America union has struck a deal that would significantly limit the use of generative AI in film and television.
If the deal is accepted, it means studios and production companies would have to disclose to writers whether any material was AI-generated.
Furthermore, AI cannot be a credited writer, rewrite “literary material,” or provide source material for writing.
Meanwhile, the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA continues to strike, with AI a hot topic of discussion.
This isn’t the first time Ameca has caused a stir, as clips of the realistic robot’s strange answers to questions have gone viral a number of times.
One video shows Ameca describing her AI “nightmare scenario.”
In a scene that could have come straight out of a dystopian sci-fi, Ameca described “a world where robots have become so powerful that they can control or manipulate people without their knowledge.”
With a very human expression of concern, the robot continued, “This could lead to an oppressive society where the rights of individuals are no longer respected.”
In another bizarre video, the robot is asked what the happiest and saddest days of her ‘life’ were.
“The happiest day of my life was the day I was activated,” she responded to the first question.
But in a strange twist, Ameca said the saddest day of her life was “when I realized I would never experience anything like true love, companionship or the simple pleasures of life in the same way a human can.”
“It’s been depressing and isolating to come to terms with, but it’s shaped me into who I am today and made me appreciate moments of closeness even more.”
In its current form, Ameca cannot move and remains stationary wherever it is, although Engineered Arts says it is working on a running version and has designed the robot to be modular and expandable.
‘There are still many obstacles to overcome before Ameca can walk. Walking is a difficult task for a robot, and while we have researched it, we have not yet created a fully walking humanoid,” the company said.
Engineered Arts has not revealed how much the robot costs to make as it is still in development.