The integration of AI technology into robots has been a hot topic for some time now. While some countries are still figuring out regulations for this new technology, others are already adding it to their robotic pets. Boston Dynamics’ famed dog robot, Spot, can now talk thanks to the addition of ChatGPT and Google text-to-speech.
The Journey to Integration
Machine learning engineer, Santiago, posted a video on Twitter showing the journey to integrating these new systems. In the video, the engineers can be seen adding specific terms to Spot’s dictionary to get relevant information out of it. The team also programmed in yes and no gestures for the robot.
The Benefits of AI Integration
While this addition may seem like a cute gimmick, it actually has some useful implementations for Spot. These robots are sent out on daily missions collecting lots of data that can be difficult to turn into straight information. Integrating ChatGPT allows the team to ask the robot direct questions for these pre-programmed commands and it can find the answers for them, in real-time.
This looks like a great example of exactly the kind of work these AI tools should be doing. Crunching data is a task that can take a well-trained human a lot of time, as well as just being draining and kinda boring leading to potential misses. An AI will happily sort through this kind of information in a fraction of the time, presenting what their human counterparts need to continue forward with the task.
In conclusion, the integration of AI technology into robots is still in its early stages. While there are glimmers of potential in things like AI-driven NPCs, there’s also a lot of nappy filler. However, the integration of ChatGPT and Google text-to-speech into Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot is a great example of how AI can be used in cool, smart ways.
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