6 Minute English / Would you like a robot companion?

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil. BethAnd I'm Beth. NeilOne area of technology which has been in the news a lot recently is robotics the design and building of robots. Humanoid robots, meaning robots which appear and behave like humans, are being built to help us do everything from washing the dishes to babysitting the kids. BethBut not everyone feels comfortable with the idea of inviting a human-like robot into their home. Neil, how would you feel about living with a robot? NeilI really don't want to live with a robot. I have enough people in my house. BethWith advances in AI, robots are becoming smart enough to develop meaningful relationships with humans. There are reports of people telling their secrets to robot therapists and even falling in love with their robot friend! In this episode, we'll meet a home companion robot called Abi, who's making friends with the elderly residents of Melbourne in Australia. And as usual, we'll learn some useful new vocabulary, all of which you'll find over on our website, bbclearningenglish.com. NeilFirst, I have a question for you, Beth. Because it's important people feel safe around robots, engineers design them to look like the friendly characters seen in animated movies by studios like Pixar and DreamWorks. So, what is the name of Pixar's friendly robot who picks up garbage on an uninhabited planet Earth in the year 2805? Is it: a) Roz,b) Wall-E, orc) R2D2? BethI am pretty certain that the answer is b) Wall-E. NeilWell, we'll find out the answer later in the programme. For five months during the Covid pandemic, Australian engineer Grace Brown had no human contact. She used this time to build a home companion robot, Abi, with the idea it would provide companionship to other people suffering loneliness. Now, Grace runs her own company, Andromeda, building robots specially designed as company for elderly residents in care homes who don't get many visitors. Here, she explains more about Abi to BBC World Service programme The Conversation: Grace BrownAbi, who's the humanoid robot that we build at Andromeda people don't expect humanoid robots to have, like, so much personality. She's very, very sassy. She's very inquisitive and curious. And I think when people meet her, they're always, kind of, taken aback by "Oh, she's, like, got a mind of her own." BethWhen people meet Abi, they are surprised by her sassy personality. The adjective sassy means bold, confident and cheeky. NeilSome people are taken aback meaning they are shocked or surprised by the things Abi says. She really seems to be interested and to take care of the people she meets. Abi can also express opinions, and Grace says she has a mind of her own a phrase used when a non-living object, like a robot, seems to be behaving or acting independently of human control. BethUnlike the unpredictable and violent robots which are sometimes portrayed in sci-fi movies, Abi is much more approachable and friendly, even funny she can blow bubbles from her hand! Her softer design was a conscious decision by Grace, who wanted children and elderly people to interact with Abi naturally and without fear, as she explained to BBC World Service's, The Conversation. Grace BrownI originally modelled her off the size of, like, a young child so, like a six, seven-year-old child so she's about 110cm tall. She's got a whole splash of different colours. She's got, you know, large, expressive eyes. So, that was I was very much trying to replicate the kind of approachableness and the endearingness of, like, these different, like, Pixar characters that you'd watch in all of these films. NeilAbi looks like a friendly character from a Pixar film. She's the size of a six or seven-year-old child and decorated with a splash of colour a phrase used when a bit of colour is added to brighten up something which is dull or unexciting. BethAbi also has large, expressive eyes. If you describe something as expressive, you mean it shows what someone thinks or feels. NeilElderly residents who regularly chat with Abi say the robot companion brings them joy and a sense of community. BethAh, well, it's good to hear the positive side of a technology which can still seem a bit strange or frightening. And I would like to see Abi blowing bubbles from her hand! Now, isn't it time you revealed the answer to your question, Neil? NeilI asked you for the name of Pixar's friendly robot, who picks up garbage on an uninhabited planet Earth in the year 2805. BethAnd I said it was Wall-E. NeilAnd you were correct. BethYes! NeilThat is the right answer. OK. Let's recap the vocabulary we've learned, starting with humanoid an adjective meaning to have the appearance and behaviour of a human. BethSomeone who is sassy is bold, confident and cheeky. NeilIf you are taken aback by something, you are shocked or surprised by it. BethIf you say an object has a mind of its own, you mean that it seems to be acting independently, without human control. NeilThe phrase a splash of colour is used when a bit of colour is added to brighten something which is dull or unexciting. BethAnd finally, the adjective expressive means showing what someone thinks or feels. Once again, our six minutes are up. If you've enjoyed this episode then head over to our website, bbclearningenglish.com, where you'll find a quiz and worksheet to practise the vocabulary you've learnt. See you again soon. But, for now, it's goodbye. NeilGoodbye!

Does AI have a mind of its own? Find out in this episode of 6 Minute English.

Find more programmes like this on our technology topic page.

Find an A-Z list of our programmes.

Beth and Neil talk about a strange emotion we can feel at Christmas called nostalgia

Would you know how to spot a Death Cap mushroom?

Could your next therapist be a horse?

Have you ever tried a crisp sandwich?

Do you follow politics on social media?