Spot the robot, the canine-like machine built by engineering company Boston Dynamics, can now speak thanks to ChatGPT.
In a YouTube video published on Thursday, the company showed how it had combined the popular large language model with Spot to allow the robot to respond to questions.
“We created a robot tour guide using Spot integrated with Chat GPT and other AI models as a proof of concept for the robotics applications of foundational models,” Boston Dynamics wrote.
The eight-minute video begins with Spot, seen wearing googly eyes and a small hat, acting with a “Fancy Butler” personality.
“My linguistics have been meticulously crafted to provide an authentic British experience,” the robot says.
Another personality referred to as “Precious Metal Cowgirl” shows Spot wearing a small cowboy hat while speaking about prospecting for gold in a feminine voice. The robot also goes on to make up a haiku on the spot, no pun intended.
Other personalities show Spot as an “Excited Tour Guide Robot” and a “1920s Archeologist,” each, of course, with their own unique hat.
The video, as is often the case with Boston Dynamics’ content, is aimed at showing the many different ways such robots can be utilized. But as is usually seen when the company shows off new features, reviews are mixed.
Fans of the technology applauded the company’s latest efforts.
“A British dogbot? I want one!” one commenter said. “But honestly, Spot as a tour guide is one of the best PR moves I have ever seen.”
And while negative reactions are few in the video’s infancy, such content often receives pushback once it has gone viral.
“Absolutely amazing, and scary, at the same time,” another said.
While Boston Dynamics presents its robots as being built to keep humans safe, many fear that their creations will be used violently against humans in the future.
At least one robotics company has already attached a sniper rifle to their robot dog. The New York Police Department was even forced to give up their unarmed robot dog in 2021 after pushback from the public.
It’s uncertain whether Boston Dynamics’ latest update will be hit with a barrage of Terminator-style comparisons in the coming hours and days or whether the public has grown accustomed to robotic advancements.
