The robot named Mohammad exhibited inappropriate behavior towards a female reporter at a technology event held in Riyadh.
The behavior of robot Mohammad has sparked significant controversy. (Video: Megh Updates)
A humanoid robot developed by the Saudi Arabian company specializing in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), QSS, touched the hip of a female reporter, causing a stir on social media, according to a report by Interesting Engineering on March 9. The incident occurred at DeepFest, a high-tech event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Here, QSS introduced robot Mohammad, designed in the likeness of a man. Wearing a red keffiyeh and traditional attire, Mohammad introduced himself.
“I am Mohammad, the first humanoid robot from Saudi Arabia. I was created and developed as a national project to showcase achievements in the field of artificial intelligence,” Mohammad stated.
During a live broadcast, Lebanese reporter and television host Rawya Kassem encountered an unexpected situation while standing in front of the AI robot Mohammad. As Kassem was reporting, Mohammad touched her hip. Kassem quickly reacted by turning to the robot and expressing her discomfort before resuming her reporting. The video of the incident quickly spread across social media platforms.
While Kassem was reporting, Mohammad touched her hip.
In response to the incident, the producers affirmed that Mohammad is “completely autonomous” and operates independently without direct human control. Some believe the robot may have been attempting to encourage Kassem to step closer or extend a greeting after the female reporter introduced herself. “We conducted a thorough review of the footage and the circumstances surrounding the incident, and Mohammad’s movements do not constitute inappropriate behavior. However, we will implement additional measures to prevent anyone from approaching the robot within its movement range,” QSS stated.
Mohammad is an evolved version of Sara, the first humanoid robot developed by Saudi Arabia. QSS’s robots can speak multiple languages, communicate, follow commands, and respond to requests. The robot model can also move its arms, neck, and upper body, displaying emotions and facial expressions. AI is utilized through integrated cameras to detect when someone is in front of the robot. Whenever someone says “Hello, Sara,” the robot will initiate a conversation. Using a pre-trained model, Sara can recognize dialects from across the country, analyze phrases to understand meanings, and then provide appropriate responses in text form.
The advancement of robotics technology, especially humanoid robots, often ignites fears that such systems will take over human jobs in the future. However, few consider that these systems could mimic certain inappropriate behaviors exhibited by humans. The incident involving Mohammad highlights the need for careful training and simulation of AI and humanoid robot systems before widespread public deployment.
