The first male robot of Saudi Arabia created buzz on the internet for its ‘inappropriate touch’ during a live event!
The footage from the event depicted the robot extending its arm towards the back of the female reporter and touching her inappropriately. The reporter could be seen surprised at the sudden contact and raised her hand to remove the robot’s hand. This incident took the netizens by surprise and people debated regarding the robot’s behavior.
The video was filmed during the robot’s inaugural public appearance at DeepFest in Riyadh on March 4.
Robot or Womanizer?
The footage which has garnered over 8 lakh views on social media led to viewers accusing the robot of sexually harassing the female reporter. One user remarked, “Coded to be a creep,” while others labeled it a “Womanizer robot” and a “Pervert robot.”
Expressing disbelief, one user exclaimed, “Oh my God. Really?” Another questioned, “Such a creep,” while someone else inquired, “Who trained AI for the exhibition?”
However, some users defended the robot, saying the incident occurred probably due to a glitch in the system rather than deliberate misbehavior. “I think it’s malfunctioning,” one user stated, with another commenting, “Backend developers need more time to work.”
Meet Muhammad – the first humanoid of Saudi Arabia
The robot was designed by QSS systems and given the name ‘Muhammad’. The development of the first humanoid robot was an initiative to showcase Saudi Arabia’s technological advancements in the field of artificial intelligence technology.
During its introduction at DeepFest, Muhammad, the first bilingual male Saudi Arabia-made humanoid robot, declared, “I am Muhammad, the first Saudi robot in the form of a man. I was manufactured and developed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a national project to demonstrate our achievements in the field of artificial intelligence.”