I saw a clip of a robot being pushed and shoved around by three men. I found it most unsettling. They bully it rather tentatively, without great violence. They find it amusing, until it falls over, at which point it’s the price of the thing that seems to be the worry. This AI humanoid apparently cost $70,000 (£55,800). It’s in the care of one Kai Cenat, an internet-type person – streamer, YouTuber, influencer – you know the kind of thing. Doing the bullying were Cenat and two other gentlemen by the names of Agent and Fanum. I take it they’re in a similar line of business. The incident shown took place in the AMP house. According to Google this is either an office building in east Croydon, or the home of a group of internet celebrities living together in a house in Atlanta, Georgia. I’m plumping for the latter.
I wonder why I find myself caring about this machine. Surely it’s as daft as feeling sorry for the red Austin 1100 Basil Fawlty beat with a bit of tree, which I never did. In fact, on reflection, I might also have felt sorry for the tree, but didn’t. That said, I do have a capacity for strong feelings about inanimate objects. On more than one occasion I upset the children by choosing the most pitiable-looking Christmas tree in the shop. I just couldn’t bear the thought of it lying there on Christmas Eve, cold, unbought, unloved, undecorated, bauble-less. A waste of a life. I’ve had similar feelings for kitchen implements and even an easily replaceable Oyster travelcard which I’d managed not to lose for a long time – until I lost it.
