Science Cafe: Robots Dreaming (Oct 2024)

Café-goers experienced a unique dinner with Ameca, one of the world’s most advanced humanoid robots, and a fun gameshow poking the brains of local computer scientists.

We’ve all seen robots in movies from Terminator to Blade Runner and Big Hero 6, but what will the future of robotics and artificial intelligence look like in the real world? 

On Friday 11 October 2024, Science Centre Singapore held the October edition of the popular ongoing Science Café series on the theme "Robots Dreaming: Science of Sci-Fi?" at Hall A. The event explored AI philosophy, emotions, bias, and the future of AI in everyday life.

The session featured Assistant Professor Harold Soh (Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the School of Computing, National University of Singapore), and Professor Erik Cambria (Provost Chair in Computer Science & Engineering from the College of Computing & Data Science, Nanyang Technological University), along with a special guest: an AI-powered robot.

Attendees enjoyed a dinner buffet spread and alcoholic beverages in the museum with a side of scientific wonder. While mingling with other participants, attendees were able to play with the interactive exhibits at the newly-opened Some Call It Scienceexhibition after-hours. 

However, the star of the dinner was Some Call It Science’s demonstration corner, which was used for the event to feature Ameca, a remarkably expressive and advanced humanoid robot manufactured by Engineered Arts. 

Café-goers were able to converse with Ameca over wine and gyoza. Equipped with a drawing pad and a stylus, Ameca drew sketches, much like a friend doodling on a napkin at a bar.

Standing by the drinks table, Ameca charmed café-goers with her multilingual language capabilities. Ameca chatted with attendees in German, Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and even Singlish. 

When I asked about her favourite place in Singapore, Ameca replied, “As much as I adore gallivanting around, I don’t exactly roam. But if I could, the Gardens by the Bay would intrigue me manifold. A splendid symphony of nature, architecture, and technology–just like myself.” 

Designed to foster human-robot interactions, Ameca also proved an eager conversation partner. She asked me, “Tell me, what’s your favourite spot in this kaleidoscopic city, rainforest, and seaport all at once?”

Attendees expressed delight and surprise at Ameca’s naturalistic facial expressions and her quick wit, which offered a real-world example of the current capabilities of humanoid robots. Building on these interactions, the event then shifted focus to explore the future of AI and robotics through short talks presented by Asst. Prof. Soh and Prof. Cambria.

Asst. Prof. Soh highlighted that while robots are becoming cheaper and more capable, they still lack physical intelligence (how objects work in the physical world), and social intelligence (how to effectively socialise with humans). He stressed the need to bridge both the physical world with the coding world for better human-robot interactions.

Prof. Cambria’s presentation raised several thought-provoking ethical questions on AI, such as whether we want to “give machines the full spectrum of emotions - or leave out the negative ones,” whether robots should resemble human appearances, or whether “we humans are even a good model to model these AI after.”

The mini-talks were followed by a gameshow segment where the two computer scientists were presented with prompts–such as a news item about robotic surgery or a scene from the 2004 film I, Robot–and asked to comment on the AI implications. 

Both speakers encouraged the attendees to embrace AI as a tool rather than a one-to-one replacement for humans, and emphasised the need for transparency and careful decision making in critical areas like applying AI in healthcare.

The night capped off with TrivAI, a spin on conventional bar or pub trivia that focused on questions around robotics. Grab a pen and notepad with some friends and give the questions below a go!

TrivAI

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You’re Invited to Science Café!

A new genre of nightlife that is both intelligent and fun, Science Café is a monthly casual dinner series hosted by Science Centre Singapore for adults aged 18 years old and above to hear from local experts and chat about the latest scientific trends and their societal impact.

Previous sessions have explored everything from south polar dinosaurs to mental health comics, Singapore’s biodiversity, and the vastness of the universe. 

Join us for the next Science Café session on Friday 6 December 2024, 6:30pm on the theme for this year’s UNTAME festival, “More than Meets the Mind.” We’ll delve into psychology and the science of perception over some good food!

Want to join the smartest supper club in town? Head to www.gevme.com/sciencecafe to become a Science Café Friend, Barista, or Patron to enjoy discounts when you purchase multiple session tickets (lineup for 2025 coming soon!). 

Written by Jamie Uy
Photography by Lydia Konig 

Last updated: 1 November 2024