Saudi Arabia's First Male Robot Touches Female Reporter, Sparks Outrage

The first male robot of Saudi Arabia sparked controversy online due to its 'inappropriate gesture' during a live event. Footage from the event depicted the robot extending its hand toward a female reporter and making inappropriate contact. This action caused a stir on social media, with many debating the appropriateness of the robot's behaviour. Additionally, the video captured the reporter's brief moment of surprise as she raised her hand.

The video was filmed during the robot's inaugural public appearance at DeepFest in Riyadh on March 4. It was subsequently shared by Megh Updates on X.

Saudi Arabia unveils its man shaped AI robot Mohammad, reacts to reporter in its first appearance pic.twitter.com/1ktlUlGBs1

— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) March 6, 2024

The footage, which has amassed over 8 lakh views on social media, stirred controversy as viewers accused the robot of "harassing" the female reporter during the live interview. One user remarked, "Coded to be a creep," while others labeled it a "Womaniser robot" and a "Pervert robot."

Expressing disbelief, one user exclaimed, "Oh my God. Really?" Another questioned, "Such a creep," while someone else inquired, "Who trained AI for the exhibition?"

Despite the criticisms, some social media users defended the robot, suggesting that the incident may be linked to a programming decision or a malfunction rather than deliberate misbehavior. "I think it's malfunctioning," one user stated, with another commenting, "Backend developers need more time to work."

QSS Systems designed the robot, named Muhammad, as a flagship national initiative to showcase Saudi Arabia's advancements in artificial intelligence technology. During its introduction at DeepFest, Muhammad, the first bilingual male Saudi Arabia-made humanoid robot, declared, "I am Muhammad, the first Saudi robot in the form of a man. I was manufactured and developed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a national project to demonstrate our achievements in the field of artificial intelligence.