What’s new in robots? An AI-powered humanoid machine that writes poems

LONDON — Ameca can speak French, Chinese or dozens of other languages, instantly compose a poem or sketch a cat on request. One of the key challenges was building a system that someone who’s not a member of the team could start using quickly, Ph.D. student Max Schwarz said. “For example, if you had ChatGPT combined with a robotic device, then maybe you could tell the robot what to do and there would be no programing necessary.” Will Jackson, director of Engineered Arts, the British company that created Ameca, said his company’s robots are designed for tasks that involve interacting with humans, such as helping visitors in amusement parks. “Humanoid robots are all about communication with people: So it’s about facial expression, it’s about gestures — so that conversation, storytelling, entertainment, those are the things that we’re interested in,” he said. When asked to compose a poem, Ameca took a few seconds to come up with a few verses: “Associated Press, a trusted source of news, keeping us informed with all the facts and views, from politics to sports they cover it all, their journalists always answer when we call, a beacon of truth in a world full of lies, AP’s reporting never fails to surprise.”