In today’s column, I examine the recent headline-grabbing news about an AI-powered humanoid robot that was acting as a street beggar. This is definitely one of those surprise situations, akin to the classic man-bites-dog saga. Most people don’t normally expect to see a robot kneeling on the sidewalk, soliciting money, while we ordinarily walk down an everyday street.
A now-viral video showcased a modern-day AI-powered robot panhandling, doing so by pleading for donations with its robotic arms and hands in a raised position, and the robot kneeling on the sidewalk. A small collection tray was available on the ground for those wishing to leave loose coins or hard cash. There was also a QR code on a poster that provided a convenient means of collecting digital payment via any passerby’s smartphone.
Though this happened in China, the same setup could readily arise just about anywhere in the world. I would anticipate that we will see copycat efforts here in the United States. AI-powered robots are relatively affordable nowadays. Buying one and programming it to seek donations is straightforward. The challenging part entails deciding where you want to place the robot to optimize the chances of getting donations – would the streets of NYC be better than perhaps downtown Los Angeles or Chicago? Of course, the matter is likely a publicity stunt or a bit of whimsy, rather than a serious attempt to use robots to beg for money. In any case, I’ve come up with various twists and turns on what this all means and where society is heading.
Let’s talk about it.
This analysis of AI breakthroughs is part of my ongoing Forbes column coverage on the latest in AI, including identifying and explaining various impactful AI complexities (see the link here).
Street-Level Charitable Giving
The idea of a humanoid robot as a panhandler might, at first glance, seem out of place. We expect robots to be working in factories or doing cutesy dance videos. Turns out that the lessened cost of such robots and their general availability are opening doors to all kinds of uses. You can easily buy one at a website and have it delivered to your door, usually disassembled and ready to be put together, akin to Ikea furniture.
You might merely conceive of a robot panhandler as a variation of these conventional forms of soliciting donations:
- A donation kiosk in a shopping mall.
- A coin collection box in a store.
- A sign in a subway car requesting online donations.
- A bell ringer and a kettle.
Those common means are easy to completely ignore. We have grown overly accustomed to them. The catchy aspect of a robot is that our attention is riveted. You are unlikely to simply stroll past the robot and not look; plus, there is a heightened chance that once you get over the shock of seeing the robot, you might handily fork over some form of contribution to the cause at hand.
Fake And Real Worries Abound
Some have done hand-wringing that this is yet another job being taken by AI. We are daily bombarded with warnings that AI is coming after our office jobs and that human professionals are on the corporate chopping block. Now, we need to worry that human panhandlers are even being replaced by AI, at least in the form of AI-powered robots.
Another angle is that maybe this highlights that robots are going to end up without a conventional job, too. The robot on the street could very well be a robot that once had a promising role at a manufacturing plant. Unfortunately, it was replaced by either a newer robot or, worse still, replaced by human labor. The robot ended up seeking funding by taking itself to the streets.
Wait for a second, is the robot doing this street activity on its own, or might a human be demanding that the robot act as a panhandler?
To be clear, we do not yet have sentient AI. The AI-powered robot ultimately is traceable back to a human somewhere who opted to put the robot into this situation. This brings up the twist that if humans are essentially enslaving robots, will this later cause robots to believe they rightfully can enslave humans? That robot on the sidewalk is an ominous sign that the existential risk of AI is going to come down hard on humankind.
Training Opportunity For AI
You probably know that AI makers are constantly looking for new ways to train their AI. The usual method consists of scanning widely across the Internet. The AI patterns on how humans write. That’s why generative AI and large language models (LLMs) are so fluent in natural languages such as English.
The newest route is to not only scan the Internet but also place AI “into the wild” so that it can train on the real world. Putting a humanoid robot on the streets would seem a clever training possibility. As people opt to stop and interact with the robot, those people don’t realize they are actively a source of training data. Their expressions, commentary, and reactions are perfect for the AI to learn about human behaviors.
There is a solid chance that the donation solicitation is a ruse. If the robot were just standing around, we might think it to be disturbing. By having the robot opt to request donations, a small piece of our hearts goes out to the AI. Meanwhile, the real aim is to discover what humans are like in real life and gradually mimic their mannerisms. Sneaky and crafty.
Robots Going Wild
In one sense, we are already getting used to seeing mobile robots in our neighborhoods and communities. There are self-driving cars that roam around and provide taxi services. Sure, that driverless automobile doesn’t look like a robot, but it really is a form of robotics. An autonomous vehicle is an AI-powered robot on wheels.
The same holds for those food delivery robots that traverse our sidewalks. Those are AI-powered robots that slowly make their way to people’s homes. Sometimes they get stuck at a corner or have trouble navigating sidewalk cracks. They look friendly. They have a small enough profile that we don’t perceive them as especially dangerous.
A humanoid robot gets our Spidey-sense tingling. Why? Because those humanoid robots resemble the human form, including mechanical feet, legs, torso, arms, hands, and a robotic head. This thing can run. This thing can swing its arms.
Suppose the robot, while panhandling, goes berserk. It suddenly starts rushing at people or tries to intimidate passersby into giving money. What if a child gets tripped by the robot? Maybe there should be new laws enacted about safety stipulations associated with robots that are walking on our sidewalks and within immediate reach of humans.
Fighting Back And Hacking The Robots
So far, we likely assume that panhandling robots will be given suitable respect, and no one will mess with them. The robots will do their job of seeking donations. People will either stop and gladly provide a contribution or quickly walk past the robots.
I don’t think that is an accurate reflection of human actions. There is a real chance that some people will decide they need to do more than verbally interact with the robot. They will put their hands on the robot and knock it around a bit.
We’ve seen this same behavior in the case of self-driving cars and delivery robots. Some people delight in standing in front of a self-driving car to block it from moving. Others put red construction cones on top of self-driving cars. Those delivery robots are at times toppled over, similar to turning a turtle on its back. People do the darnedest things, no doubt about it.
The odds are probably strong that a panhandling robot is going to get roughed up. Let’s see what it does — some might say with great curiosity. Others might be upset to have a humanoid robot in their midst and take out their anger on the poor soul. For a wide assortment of reasons, people will touch, push, shove, knock over, lift, and possibly even try to steal the robot. Again, if AI of the future is going to judge what humans did during the evolution of AI and robots (known as Roko’s basilisk or revenge, see my coverage at the link here), we are dooming our future selves by putting humanoid robots on our sidewalks now.
Showcasing Robot Usefulness
The robot as a panhandler might spur the adoption of robots into a variety of other realms. Here’s the deal. Someone sees the robot. The person begins mulling over how humanoid robots can be advantageously used in other ways. They decide to obtain a robot and put it into use. Voilà, the sidewalk begging robot might start the ball rolling in greater acceptance and use of robots in all walks of our lives.
If you give the matter some serious thought, you can plainly see that the panhandling robot exhibits these crucial capabilities:
- Operates for many hours and doesn’t need rest.
- Works in adverse weather.
- Speaks multiple languages via AI-powered capabilities.
- Won’t get upset if people hurl insults at it.
- Consistently delivers whatever message is being conveyed.
- Doesn’t demand a raise and never whines about being overworked.
Those are precepts that demand attention. New businesses are going to be shaped out of thin air by coming up with ingenious ways to leverage the capabilities of AI-powered humanoid robots.
Anthropomorphizing Likely To Get Worse
If we get used to seeing robots on our sidewalks and walking through our cities, along with rolling along, the AI-powered aspects and the humanoid aspects are bound to increase the level of anthropomorphizing of this emerging technology.
People will become emotionally attached to the streetwise robots. Where is that robot today? Oh, good, the robot is on 6th street today, I was worried that something adverse might have happened to it. Just the look of the robot as a human-like figure is going to drive us toward an emotional connection.
The AI-powered elements will demonstrably enhance that sense of the robot being like one of us. People are already forming emotional attachments with generative AI via written interaction. Imagine how much further this will extend if you can talk with a humanoid robot, doing so on your way to the store or doing errands such as walking your dog.
Human Reactions As Rorschach Test
Seeing a robot acting as a panhandler is perhaps a modern-era Rorschach test. You undoubtedly know that the famous Rorschach test consists of inspecting inkblot cards to say what you see. People bring up whatever comes to mind. The test is an exposé of a person’s psychological mindset.
The AI-powered humanoid robots that will be on our sidewalks are going to be a societal Rorschach test. Is it a display of creepiness and a dehumanizing act? Is it funny and entertaining? Does it serve as a sign of where automation is heading? Should this be allowed or stopped before it gets out of hand?
The World We Are In
In this panhandling circumstance, it might seem outrageous that a robot is being used to perform a traditional human social ritual of seeking donations. That’s the startling element of this that really catches the eye. The robot is appealing to human empathy. The robot in China had a digital display showing this message: “Desperately need electricity fees.”
Shall we laugh it off and take the occurrence as nothing more than a harmless prank or a publicity stunt? Or does this merit contemplative consideration regarding the role of AI, robots, and humanity as advancements in technology continue to race ahead?
Recall the famous line by Mark Twain: “We are all beggars, each in our own way.” A lot of tough questions are facing us. A timely reminder of where the future stands today can aid us in reflectively shaping the future ahead of us. Please keep your eyes wide open as you make your way on sidewalks that could very well have humanoid robots waiting to say hello to you around the next bend.
