Japanese scientists help artificially intelligent robot avoid human 'bullies'

Japanese scientists are almost always on the top when it comes to the programming of the robots and other mechanoids. Recently, the researchers reprogrammed artificial intelligence data into a customer-welcoming robot after it was vandalised by a group of children.

Initially, the robot, named Robovie-II, was deployed to a shopping mall in Osaka, Japan to engage normally with the customers and other people in the mall. The Robovie-II especially helped the older people to shop for groceries. However, a group of children started to attack it one day. According to 9news.com.au, the group of children were small. Had it been a larger group with greater number of children, the attack would have been more severe.

With the help of artificial intelligence data, the researchers programmed the robot to avoid children who could pose a threat to it. According to Business Insider Australia, the researchers configured the robot to move close to people taller than 137cm.

Prior to programming the kid-avoiding AI software in the robots, the researchers analysed the behaviour of the people when the robot asked it politely to move if it obstructed shoppers’ path. The team was shocked to see that during the 13-day trial period, the robot was bullied by 28 children who severely abused the machine, before one day a group decided to kick, hit and throw other objects on the bug-eyed machine.

Upon being programmed with the new software, the robot successfully ran away from the children it felt they could pose a threat, or decided to run to their parents. The study has, once again, put forward the frightening moral principles about robots. In another incident, a robot named hitchBOT was vandalised in Philadelphia.

Contact the writer at feedback@ibtimes.com.au, or let us know what you think below.