Is that this the friendly face of AI in 2024? Meet LG’s latest ‘AI agent’

Because the 12 months draws to an end, the No. 1 trend this 12 months was undoubtedly artificial intelligence.

Although AI guarantees much, not all is rosy, with various ethical debates across the technology after which thrown into the combo a report of a robot attacking a employee at a Tesla Inc. factory in Texas. With concerns rising, can AI have a friendly face in 2024?

If LG Electronics Inc. has its way, it might probably. It’s introducing its latest two-wheeled “AI agent” (pictured). Described as an “all-around home manager and companion rolled into one,” the robot has been designed to reinforce users’ each day lives and to showcase LG’s commitment to realizing its “Zero Labor Home” vision.

The AI agent is in a position to navigate a house independently, verbally interact with users and express emotions through movements made possible by its articulated leg joints. The robot uses multimodal AI technology, which mixes voice and image recognition, together with natural language processing to enable it to grasp context and intentions in addition to actively communicate with users and interact with smart home appliances.

Under the hood, the AI agent is powered by the Qualcomm Robotics RB5 Platform and includes on-device AI features akin to face and user recognition. The AI agent utilizes a built-in camera, speaker and various sensors to collect real-time environmental data, including temperature, humidity and indoor air quality. The AI can analyze this data, constantly learning and mixing it with external information.

Together with providing mobile assistance to users, other use cases for the AI agent include pet monitoring. The AI agent can act as a pet monitor and security guard, allowing users to see and look after their pets remotely and sending alerts if any unusual activity is detected. Given the scale of the robot, nonetheless, you wouldn’t want to go away it alone with large dogs.

The AI agent also can act as a security guard of sorts, autonomously patrolling a house, moving from one room to a different when users have gone out. The robot can send notifications to the user’s smartphone if it finds an open window or any lights left on. Within the case of smart outlets and lights, it might probably turn them on or off as required.

Finally, the AI agent can greet people on the front door, discern their emotions by analyzing their voice and facial expressions, and choose music or other content to suit their mood. It may also assist users of their each day lives by providing transportation details, weather updates, personal schedules or reminders to take medications.

There’s no mention of how much the AI agent will cost, but more details are expected to be revealed on the LG launch event on the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 8.

Image: LG