Robot Woman Quarrels with Robot Man: A Showcase of AI Emotion

In Britain, robots named Ameka and Azi have been developed to imitate human emotions and facial expressions.

Created by the robotics company Engineered Arts, these robots use artificial intelligence to interact, although their creators humorously admit that their “personal chemistry” could use some work.

In a recent video, Azi shared a joke about internet cookies with Ameka. Her response—narrowed eyes and a wrinkled nose—clearly showed she wasn’t amused. Azi, in turn, reacted with a crestfallen expression, as if he realized his joke had flopped.

In the lighthearted exchange, Azi wakes up Ameka, hoping to share what he believes is a clever joke, only for her to respond, “That’s the worst joke I’ve ever heard,” before going back to sleep.

The real highlight of this demonstration, however, is the robots’ remarkable ability to mimic human facial expressions.

Equipped with 32 actuators—five for the neck and 27 for facial control, including 12 for the lips, two for the jaw, four for the eyeballs, four for the eyelids, four for the eyebrows, and one for the nose—these robots bring expressive interactions to life.

Engineered Arts notes on its website that its humanoid robots are “for entertainment, communication, and education” and assures they are designed to be entirely safe.

“Our robots are completely safe. They’re inherently compliant and gentle, so even if a robot was to move and accidentally hit you, it wouldn’t hurt,” the company claims.