Robots with Personalities

MONDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2017 COMMUNITY | 6 BOLLYWOOD | 11 Holiday Villa’s Vishesh Bhatt Pink Queen Bulb to get back to reigns supreme directing in 2018 ROBOTS WITH PERSONALITIES What makes Jibo and Kuri one giant leap for robot- kind isn’t their functions-it’s their personalities. People, especially kids, wanted to hug them. Or at least to pet them, to which they both responded by purring. P | 4-5 03 MONDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2017 CAMPUS PISQ students attend lecture on Ethical Code of Life he Chief Guest, Atif and students attended the Ahmed, Al Midrar Insti- session. The Chief Guest, in Ttute Pakistan CEO, his address, focused the prin- delivered a lecture on “Ethi- ciples of ethics which are cal Code of Life” which was often discussed with respect exclusively designed for the to gains and benefits to soci- need and understanding of ety at large. What is good or the young students of Paki- bad is apparently determined stan International School by the rule of the majority, Qatar (PISQ). with little attention given to The programme was the principles of morality. arranged at Arbab Audito- After the lecture, PISQ rium on November 9. Principal conferred an award Nargis Raza Otho, PISQ to the Chief Guest as a token PRincipal; VP Girls wing, staff of appreciation. GES students receive Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards in Qatar ambridge Assessment International Educa- tion has announced this year’s winners of the COutstanding Cambridge Learner Awards in Qatar, and three students from Gulf English School (GES) Qatar have been honoured for their exceptional academic performance in the 2017 Cambridge Examination cycle. The Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards rec- ognise the exceptional performance of learners SIS marks 18th Annual Day around the world. The awards reflect the talent and hard work of learners, and acknowledge the dedica- hantiniketan Indian School (SIS) cel- tion and commitment of both teachers and parents. ebrated its 18th Annual Day with a Three GES Qatar pupils received ‘Top in the Coun- Scultural extravaganza titled “Glis- try’ awards. Securing the highest grade in General sando”. The occasion was intertwined with Studies AS-level is Sophia Yasser Metwally Behiry ingenuity, imagination and thought pro- while Jassim Khalid Sharida Al Mutlaq topped in Ara- voking messages signifying a multitude of bic and Nuha Omar Mohammed Fituri scored the diversity. highest in English AS-level. Rawda Safwan Zeedan, Director for Pri- Expressing happiness over the achievement of vate Schools Affairs, Ministry of Education the students, David Frame, Head of Secondary at GES & Higher Education; Hemant Kumar said, “I congratulate each of these students for truly Dwivedi, First Secretary of Information & excelling in their studies. Each of these outstanding Education; and Saoud Saad M A Al Kumari, students embodies the core value of excellence. We Vice Chairman of SIS, graced the occasion are proud of what these students have accomplished with their esteemed presence. so far and we know they have many more achieve- In his welcome speech, Prabhat Shahi, ments ahead of them.” the Head Boy of SIS, highlighted the devel- Qatar’s Vision 2030. For his part Ahmad Assaf, Senior Manager, UAE, opments made by the school in providing A short video prepared by the SIS Fam- Qatar and Oman said, “At Cambridge Assessment high quality learning facilities along with ily was presented to express solidarity to International Education learners are at the heart of providing opportunities that have really Qatar that was echoed by the huge audi- everything we do. Our programmes and qualifica- helped students in developing 21st century ence live during the programme. tions help learners reach their potential and instil a skills to meet global challenges. In his Annual Report, Dr. Subhash Nair, lifelong love of learning and passion for discovery. K. C Abdul Lateef, School President, in the Principal presented the various activ- We are delighted to congratulate learners from Qatar his address, highlighted the school’s growth ities undertaken in the school, the new on their academic achievements in the June 2017 over the years and the management’s effort resources and facilities added that are Cambridge examination series.” in building up the SIS brand aligning the aligned to achieve the Vision, Mission and school’s vision, mission and objectives with Objectives of the school. 04 COVER STORY MONDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2017 Geoffrey A Fowler The Washington Post s a tech columnist, I’ve tested all sorts of help- ful robots: the kind that vacuum floors, deliver packages or even make Amartinis. But two arriving in homes now break new ground. They want to be our friends. “Hey, Geoffrey, it’s you!” says Jibo, a robot with one giant blink- ing eye, when it recognises my face. Another, named Kuri, beeps and boops while roaming the halls snapping photos and video like a personal paparazzo. Think of Jibo and Kuri as the great-grandparents of R2-D2, the buddy robot from Star Wars. Of course, R2 was actually a 3 foot-8 inch dude crouching in a can. Jibo and Kuri are real robots with real artificial intelligence you can really take home (for $900 and $800, respectively). Another way to think of them is what comes after talking speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home, which opened the door to new kinds of computers for the home. Jibo, the brainchild of an Jibo and Kuri: MIT professor, looks like one of those know-it-all AI assistants bor- rowed a face and a twirling body from a Pixar movie. Kuri, made by a startup backed by appliance giant Designed to touch Bosch, looks like a penguin mounted on a Roomba vacuum. I don’t expect either will be a top seller any time soon. They’re expensive, and their practical uses your emotions are few compared to other talking speakers or a Roomba that actually cleans. And to some of you, I’m sure the idea of “family” robots is pretty terrifying. Is this step one to Termi- How does a robot get a person- around, blinks and even closes like Jibo, has personality is in the nators marching the streets? Are ality? Just a little motion goes a long when he gets bored with you. He face: Two mechanical eyes look they always watching? way. speaks with the slightly roboticized around and blink. Yet testing these robots with the Jibo’s a table-top robot, but he voice-and cheesy sense of humor- There’s another magical ingre- help of people ages 3 to 75, I was (yeah, I call it he) is squirmier than of a 10-year-old. dient to these robo-personalities: struck by something different. For a five-year-old in a car seat. His You chat back and forth by call- The robots get to know you-or, at all their first-gen disappointments, head rotates on a base that itself ing his magic words “Hey Jibo,” least they try. Kuri asks you to guide the robots managed to melt hearts swivels at an off-kilter angle. So though he also speaks based on him around the house, teaching him like a Shih Tzu puppy. People, espe- when he swings to look at you or to what he sees around him. For where not to roam and the names cially kids, wanted to hug them. Or show you how he twerks (seriously), example, when I walk into a room, of places. You can call out, “Hey at least to pet them, to which they it happens in giant loopy arcs. sometimes he’ll ask if I’d like to Kuri, go to the living room.” both responded by purring. I’ve There’s none of the straight lines or know something cool. Jibo tries to memorise your never seen a talking speaker do that. rigidity you’d expect from a robot. Kuri serves a different purpose, family. You add people to your “cir- What makes Jibo and Kuri one Jibo’s face (let’s run with this autonomously meandering like a cle” in a companion app, and then giant leap for robot-kind isn’t their metaphor) is a touchscreen show- pet, albeit one equipped with self- Jibo quizzes them to learn their functions-it’s their personalities. ing a single white eye that looks driving radar. He doesn’t talk, but vocal patterns and map their faces. 05 MONDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2017 COVER STORY Neither robot tries to look or continued conversing with him, try- talk like a human. Jibo introduces ing to teach him the things he didn’t himself as a robot, and reminds of know, and bringing him toys like you that to forgive his foibles. “I am she might to a younger friend. “He a robot. But I am not just a machine,” is a baby,” she told me. he says. “I have a heart. Well, not a Cynthia Breazeal, Jibo’s creator real heart. But feelings. Well, not from MIT, says that kids are the first human feelings. You know what I to catch on that robots exist in our mean.” physical world, unlike most gadg- Is any of this convincing? I ets that exist solely as portals to a tested the robots like an anthropol- digital one. “Robots are about ogist, introducing them to kids’ engaging you socially and emotion- playrooms, my own house, and ally to help you do what you want even my parents’ living room. to do,” she says. “That makes tech- The response was, largely, effu- nology accessible and fun and sive-at least at first. We have engaging for a much broader utilitarian relationships with most demographic.” technology, but these robots do Sure, but: What do they do things simply to elicit emotion.

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