There’s a robot for that.
Believe it or not, some people are even marrying AI bots. Now, it seems that there’s a possibility for these robots to carry babies in the near future.
Reports suggest that China is working on creating robots equipped with artificial wombs that can receive nutrients, much like a human abdomen.
The concept of a “Pregnancy Robot” was developed by Dr. Zhang Qifeng from Kaiwa Technology, located in Guangzhou, China. If all goes as planned, a prototype could be unveiled next year.
For those facing challenges with pregnancy, hiring a humanoid robot to carry a baby comes with a price tag of around 100,000 yuan, which is about $13,927. In the U.S., similar services can range between $100,000 and $200,000.
Dr. Qifeng has stated that “artificial uterine technology is already advanced; we now need to integrate it into the robot’s abdomen to allow both human and robotic entities to achieve pregnancy and foster fetal development.” However, many questions remain unanswered, such as the processes for fertilizing eggs, inserting them into the uterus, and how the robot will manage childbirth.
This emerging technology also raises various ethical and legal concerns. Dr. Qifeng mentioned that discussions with Guangdong authorities have taken place, with proposals submitted to address these issues.
On a different note, the same month saw humanoid robots making an appearance on 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan, where they engaged in typical urban activities like buying hot dogs and trying on shoes.
These Kaido-brand bots were there to promote global humanoids and an embodied intelligence index managed by Kraneshares, a global asset management firm. Joseph Dube, the company’s marketing director, remarked, “It felt like witnessing the advent of the light bulb or the automobile firsthand.” Reactions were mixed, with some feeling astonished and others quite scared.
