A “fully autonomous” AI robot has raised eyebrows after appearing to grope a reporter during an interview at a technology festival in Saudi Arabia.
Journalist Rawya Kassem was speaking in front of the robot, named Mohammad, when the machine seemed to move to touch her behind, a video circulating on social media shows.
Kassem, visibly startled, quickly moved away from the robot, but not before holding up her hand and motioning it to stop. She then continued on with her presentation at DeepFest, an AI event taking place in Riyadh.
Robotics firm QSS, who developed Mohammad, told Metro UK the robot is “fully autonomous” and operates “independently without direct human control.”
“We have already conducted a thorough review of the footage and the circumstances surrounding the incident and there was no deviations from the expected behavior of Mohammad, however, we will take additional measures to prevent anyone getting close to the Robot within its areas of movement,” QSS said, according to Metro UK.
Mohammad was designed to help perform tasks in hazardous conditions and help improve safety for humans, according to Metro UK, causing some to believe the robot was simply asking Kassem to step forward.
QSS said it takes safety and well-being seriously and told attendees to “maintain a safe distance from the robot during its demonstrations,” according to the British outlet.
Social media users speculated over the robot’s apparent motive.
One X user accused it of being “coded to be a creep!”
Another called it a “womanizer robot.”
And another pondered that the robot was going to shake her hand after she called his name, writing: “Because she mentioned his name and he wanted to shake her hand, but she stood where his hand passed. This is the fault of humans, not the robot.”
Mohammad was built in Saudi Arabia and is bilingual, according to DeepFest.
“His creation is a testament to Saudi Arabia’s unwavering commitment to technological advancement and ingenuity,” the festival said on its website. “Mohammad embodies the spirit of innovation that defines Saudi Arabia’s technological landscape, inspiring generations to come.”
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