Artist chains up thrashing mechanical robot dog to expose Al fears

THE agile robot dog springs up on all fours, takes a step forward and charges at the tense crowd at a Tokyo exhibit, held back by a simple yet strong metal chain.

- AFP

The silver mechanical creature then starts thrashing around violently, to gasps and exclamations from spectators at the installation, designed to probe humanity's relationship with increasingly realistic machines.

The Japanese media artist behind it told AFP he hoped the audience would consider the dangers posed by artificial intelligence but also feel “pity” for the struggling robot.

“Our future is going to be stressful, because people treat robots as objects, but we feel empathetic stress with these movements and reactions,” said Takayuki Todo, 40.

Global tech giants are investing vast sums into humanoid and other lifelike robots, with grand plans for factory automation, home and other futuristic “physical AI” services.