A technology showcase in Iran is going viral after attendees discovered the humanoid ‘robots’ being displayed at the event were actually performers wearing elaborate costumes.
It’s safe to say that humanity is well on its way to the future that was imagined in sci-fi novels and films not even a decade ago. With Waymo mass-producing self-driving cars, AI creating videos that are nearly indistinguishable from real-life footage, and tech companies prepping for the sale of advanced helper robots, society is changing pretty fast.
However, not every tech-focused business is keeping up with the breakneck pace of advancements in the space, especially where robotics are concerned.
In fact, a technology showcase in Iran has sparked a heated online debate for the ‘robots’ it put on display to wow enthusiasts and investors that weren’t actually robots, at all.
AI-powered ‘robots’ at tech expo were merely actors in costume
The Kish Inox Tech Expo is an annual event that takes place on the Iranian island of Kish, a luxury, resort-style escape for vacations, luxury shopping, and large showcases.
As per the event’s official website, the Tech Expo offers a platform for “showcasing products and services, attracting investments, and developing commercial collaborations.”
Specifically, ’emerging technologies’ were a central part of this year’s Expo… but it seems some of these exciting new products needed more time to cook.
Attendees at the Expo notably filmed what were supposedly advertised as advanced robots. On closer inspection, it’s obvious that they were actually just people dressed up in costumes pretending to be machines.
The two actors were wearing simple white bodysuits emblazoned with ones and zeroes, apparently referencing binary code, and answered questions with scripted lines.
When approached with queries from curious expo-goers, the actors referred to themselves as “a set of data working together in a single code” that were “capable of performing tasks related to artificial intelligence.”
Eventually, it was revealed that the actors were there to promote a private company and were not affiliated with the Iranian government.
Speaking to Iranian news outlet Zoomit, Hossein Afshin, Iran’s senior official for Science and Technology, confirmed the actors weren’t officially affiliated with the Kish Inox Tech Expo.
“I only know that one of the companies did this for its own advertising. Consequently, it has no objection, and it must definitely accept its responsibility,” he said. “This was not something that the policymakers of the Innotex Kish exhibition did, or it was not the exhibition’s idea to use humans as robots.”
This is just the latest robot fail to go viral after an AI-powered bot from a Russian tech company tripped and fell flat on its face mere seconds into its grand debut in mid-November.
Other robots, however, are crushing it in comparison; in December, a humanoid robot created by a Chinese company set a world record by walking 100 km completely unassisted.
