Yikes R2D2’s Pet Has Joined the Workforce

Wish I was making this up, wish I was making this up, wish I was making this up….

You’re looking at a few of the new prospects at a Japanese employment agency. For just under 50,000 yen (U.S. $430) a month, quite a bit less than a human, the PeopleStaff agency will send over a Hello Kitty Robo, “a robotic receptionist capable of sensing a visitor’s presence, greeting him or her and holding simple conversations.”

The agency(which is in Nagoya) also has Ifbot, an “elderly-care robot” that makes small talk and poses riddles and math problems…um, to strengthen the mind and help avoid dementia. (Oh, they’re interested in humankind? I’d never have guessed.) Ifbot is Spaceman-like and is aimed at hospitals and homes of the elderly. He (I’m guessing on the sex, here) also quizzes people on their health.

The company does offer this warning however, the robots aren’t capable of doing everything humans can do.

Sometimes I think that technology just might be our undoing.

Make each human moment count double and use human cashiers even if you’re in a hurry,
~Joi