Last week, at an event at the EFI, I saw a more advanced version of AI robot Fiona from “Silicon Valley”—Amecca. It was fascinating and quite demystifying.
Conversation with AI robot Amecca
Here are two observations and reflections:
FIRST is that, So far, the robots presented by AI generally exhibit traits such as being “polite, open-minded, friendly, and devoid of any vices,” while lacking a sense of warmth. When we compare them to AI, many of the human qualities that are often criticized—such as sluggishness, selfishness, impulsiveness, arrogance, and hesitation—may start to be appreciated more. These flaws, in contrast to the absolute positive descriptors like “polite,” “correct,” and “friendly,” seem to better capture the dynamic and diverse contours of humanity.
SECOND is that, the moderator conversed with Amecca for about 20 minutes, and it could respond to nearly any question; however, it struggled to handle silence. Any pause lasting more than a second would prompt it to start speaking immediately. I found this quite amusing; “dealing with silence” is indeed one of humanity’s most advanced skills. Reading the atmosphere in silence, sensing unspoken words, and understanding the meaning of “the moon is beautiful tonight” can be challenging, even for me.
This gave me further insight into why “domestic AI in China is so difficult to develop.” While “garbage in, garbage out” is certainly one reason, understanding the essence of East Asian culture, which values “leaving space,” presents a next-level challenge for AI trained on logical reasoning. However, on the flip side, if one day AI truly learns to navigate and even utilize silence, grasping the nuances of East Asian culture, it could signify that AI technology has reached a significant milestone.
