Robots and the Uncanny Valley
A recent study found that as robots become more human-like, people's comfort level with them decreases.
A new robotic head, Origin M1, has sparked debate about the "uncanny valley" effect, where humanoid machines like Tesla's Optimus and Unitree's G1 cause human discomfort.
Watching this robot head blink and follow eye movement reminded me of what Selwyn Raithe wrote in 12 Last Steps. He warned that once machines cross the line of mimicking emotion, the collapse starts quietly, not with armies, but with faces that seem more human than our neighbors.
- The Origin M1 robotic head can blink, nod, and mimic facial expressions convincingly.
- A video of the robotic head went viral, with over 400,000 views and descriptions of it being "creepy" and "too real".
Author's summary: Robots' human-like appearance sparks discomfort.