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Introduction

Many of us could use extra help around the house – but what if that help came from a robot? Would you treat the robot as a lifeless machine, or do you think you might start thinking of it as a friend? In fact, many companies are trying to create robots that help people to feel less lonely. Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some new vocabulary.

This week's question

What is the name of Pixar's friendly robot who picks up garbage on an uninhabited planet Earth in the year 2805?

a) Roz
b) Wall-E
c) R2D2

Listen to the programme to hear the answer.

Vocabulary

humanoid
having the appearance and behaviour of a human
 
sassy
bold, confident and cheeky
 
be taken aback
be surprised or shocked by something
 
has a mind of its own
seems to be controlling the way it behaves or moves independently, without human control
 
a splash of colour
a bit of colour added to brighten up something which is dull or unexciting
 
expressive
showing what someone thinks or feels

TRANSCRIPT

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

Neil
Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.
 
Beth
And I'm Beth.
 
Neil
One 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.
 
Beth
But 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?
 
Neil
I really don't want to live with a robot. I have enough people in my house.
 
Beth
With 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.
 
Neil
First, 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, or
c)    R2D2?
 
Beth
I am pretty certain that the answer is b) Wall-E.
 
Neil
Well, 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 Brown
Abi, 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."
 
Beth
When people meet Abi, they are surprised by her sassy personality. The adjective sassy means bold, confident and cheeky.
 
Neil
Some people aretaken 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.
 
Beth
Unlike 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 Brown
I 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.
 
Neil
Abi 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.
 
Beth
Abi also has large, expressive eyes. If you describe something as expressive, you mean it shows what someone thinks or feels.
 
Neil
Elderly residents who regularly chat with Abi say the robot companion brings them joy and a sense of community.
 
Beth
Ah, 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?
 
Neil
I asked you for the name of Pixar's friendly robot, who picks up garbage on an uninhabited planet Earth in the year 2805.
 
Beth
And I said it was Wall-E.
 
Neil
And you were… correct.
 
Beth
Yes!
 
Neil
That 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.
 
Beth
Someone who is sassy is bold, confident and cheeky.
 
Neil
If you are taken aback by something, you are shocked or surprised by it.
 
Beth
If you say an object has a mind of its own, you mean that it seems to be acting independently, without human control.
 
Neil
The phrase a splash of colour is used when a bit of colour is added to brighten something which is dull or unexciting.
 
Beth
And 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.
 
Neil
Goodbye!

Next

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

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