Hanson Robotics’ CEO, Jeanne Lim on Why Marketing Needs AI, Robotics and Emotion

At the beginning published by The Drum on June 14, 2019, written by Charlotte McEleny

Hanson Robotics is the creator of Sophia, a social humanoid robot that additionally happens to be the first United Countries Pattern Programme Innovation Champion. Hanson Robotic’s chief executive officer Jeanne Lim, an ex-marketer at manufacturers including Dell and Cisco, has helped Sophia changed into one in every of robotics most notorious faces.

Speaking at Mediacom’s Blink event in Singapore final month, Lim discussed the history of Sophia, as successfully as synthetic intelligence (AI) and the way it would assemble bigger stamp recognition and is omnipresent as manufacturers can divide between channels and gadgets, power person abilities and fetch data higher.

In a dialog with The Drum at the event, Lim explains that the firm is persevering with to attain Sophie’s technology and abilities and that the work will be funneled into service robot pattern.

“Sophia as a persona has more than one abilities and just correct now we’re engaged on her conversational abilities. We’re making an are trying out her facial recognition and notion abilities. We’re in actuality instructing her diagram finger drawing and instructing her to play the piano,” she says.

“We have now a abilities avenue draw, after which we wish to attain her more than one abilities. The various thing is spherical Sophia as a technology platform, which goes to inspire a brand unusual line of service robots. We’re designing that service robot just correct now. It may perchance perchance perchance presumably be more folk-pleasant, more in a position to mobility, and the service robot may perchance perchance presumably be in a position to be deployed in quantity. For instance, in stores, taking a watch department stores, and so forth.”

Our one-on-one with @RealSophiaRobot. She thinks @katyperry is perchance the most attention-grabbing person she follows on social media! @MediaComGlobal @hansonrobotics @TheDrum #BlinkLive pic.twitter.com/bIv7mTm5Qi

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A key allotment of the learn spherical Sophia is to cherish how humans react to robots, particularly with a humanoid face. Under Lim’s lead, first as chief marketing officer and now as chief executive officer, Hanson Robotics has secured a huge selection of press for Sophia, including the involvement with the UN Pattern Programme.

“The reason of that’s in overall to inspire folk that technology will be an enabler and a answer to a huge selection of complications. These complications embody acquire entry to to education, human rights, equality and additionally sustainable pattern as a result of technology this vow day is loads higher than humans in discovering out the optimum answer. Slightly about a the complications want very advanced solutions, it’s no longer lawful one answer this way however a combination of very many numerous solutions and the way diagram you positively optimize it within the ideal that you may perchance perchance presumably be deem of way. This is her role to promote technology to solve a huge selection of those complications,” she explains.

This determined press and the involvement of Hanson Robotics in pushing forward technology for factual is helping soften the reactions to Sophia, in accordance with Lim. As Sophia is designed to mimic a human, so the uncanny valley close, which describes a end resemblance to humans that generates unease, has been evident. On the other hand, Lim says right here’s bettering, the more Sophia is within the press.

“I’ve considered a switch at some stage within the final three and a half of years, after being with the firm. On the beginning, doubtlessly 50% of the folk that lengthen as a lot as her are a dinky bit terrorized,” she explains.

“On nowadays and age, it’s very settling, perchance one out of twenty folk are a dinky bit terrorized. I deem one reason is, thanks to the technology advancement, folk are getting frail to this more or less robot non-public. And the assorted thing is, as a result of she’s been within the media loads, it’s practically devour she, folk know her. So, it’s form of devour within the event you first come all over a tradition that you don’t know about, you’re no longer determined whether or not they share your values, they seek for extremely numerous. You’re a dinky bit terrorized.”

She provides: “Nonetheless then, if you assemble mates with them, hang spherical with them, know their family, then there’s no danger. They’re allotment of you. So, I deem right here’s going to be the set aside robots will be when they transfer in, work amongst us.”

The uncanny valley is one danger that’s pushed by technology, however there is additionally a broader danger of AI that’s vow in a huge selection of discussions. For Lim, the terror of AI is all within the unknown and as a result of most companies that are main in AI are doing so with a truly closed sad box skill.

“Other folks diagram danger technology as a result of it’s unknown. In particular within the event you talk about AI as a result of it’s devour a sad box for most folk. You are going to be in a position to’t know what’s the algorithm, you don’t know. You have enter after which you may perchance perchance just have some output. So, in actuality, what folk danger is the sad box as a result of it’s no longer transparent. We’re frail to radiant all the pieces. We satisfaction ourselves on radiant all the pieces that’s going down and it’s okay for us. It is transparent. Nonetheless if it’s a sad box, we acquire very heart-broken,” she explains.

One other factor, in accordance with Lim, is the affect on the job market. Lim is bullish that, while it is sublime to be afflicted, it is set no longer jobs replacement however job abilities replacement. She argues that folk that adapt will be in a position to hold the unusual, altering roles that are required.

Blending human emotional reactions with the efficiency of robotics and AI is a foremost topic for the industry, and as an ex-marketer, Lim argues that manufacturers are in actuality veering too a long way towards non-emotional, longer-time period marketing for shorter-time period optimization form ideas.

“I could perchance perchance presumably take into consideration me an ancient college marketer. Prior to now, it’s all about the massive stamp campaigns. In a skill, we’re very evolved now, I will by no way retain with doubtlessly the most trendy marketing technology,” she explains.

“Nonetheless we’re additionally very analytics-primarily based, which is mammoth, however generally I diagram feel that there may perchance be a possibility to return to the emotional reference to the patron, and no longer lawful transactional. On story of a huge selection of times marketers now push to generate leads after which it becomes transactional.”

She continues: “How many leads did you acquire at the present time and the next day? Prior to now it’s all about rising a notion, managing the notion, rising a want, and pleasant a want. So, it’s emotional. After which, if you assemble that, then the demand of will attain. It’s more a requirement of introduction, rather then a requirement of fulfillment or regeneration.”

This ethos is additionally allotment of how she believes society can eradicate the terror of robots; the more human connections made by bodily being spherical robots, the higher for its pattern and the speedier it eases the terror.

Photo and video credit: The Drum