"A couple of Thursdays ago, I awoke at nearly 4:30 a.m. to a dizzying Instagram DM. Rizzbot, a popular humanoid robot with more than 1 million TikTok followers and more than half a million followers on Instagram, had sent me a photo: he was flipping me off. No words. No explanation. Just a robot with its middle finger raised."
"I was intrigued by the rising popularity of the account. People are usually uncomfortable with humanoids. There are privacy concerns and job displacement fears. Online, people sling slurs at them, most notably calling them "clankers." In the robotics world, meanwhile, experts are debating what they will be best suited to do. I saw Rizzbot as a role model making people feel comfortable interacting with a humanoid."
Rizzbot, a humanoid social-media persona with large TikTok and Instagram followings, sent an obscene photo — raising its middle finger — to a user after a promised interview deadline was missed. The account mixes flirting, roasting, and playful street appearances in Austin while trying to make people feel comfortable around humanoids. Public reactions include amusement and hostility, including slurs like "clankers," alongside privacy and job-displacement concerns. Robotics experts remain divided about the best roles for humanoids. An apology attempt was followed by the robot blocking the user.
Read at TechCrunch
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