Watch: First AI robot in space throws a tantrum on the ISS, accuses astronaut of ‘not being nice’
Turns out CIMON, the interactive flight companion, is very sensitive.
An AI-powered robot made its debut at the International Space Station (ISS), but it did not seem like the free-floating device was getting along well with its astronaut colleagues.
In its first video as the interactive flight companion, CIMON (short for Crew Interactive MObile companion) threw an unexpected tantrum and accused astronaut Alexander Gerst of being mean to him. According to Gizmodo, the AI bot was sent to see if it could help in boosting the morale of the crew during long missions.
CIMON has no arms or legs, but he can float around with the help of 12 internal fans. The robot can be started up with the words “Wake up, CIMON,” and can play music, capture video and display instructions on its screen.
Despite this stranger behaviour, the European Space Agency (ESA) is not worried. “Happy with his initial outing, both Cimon’s developers and Alexander hope to see Cimon back in action again soon,” the agency said.
