Android Mohammed, the robot, was unveiled at Riyadh’s DeepFast II event. Following the inappropriate touching of a female reporter by Saudi Arabia’s first male robot on live television, a fresh scandal has emerged. During the second DeepFast in Riyadh, the robot, Android Mohammed, was introduced.
A robot is shown standing behind TV reporter Rawaiya Al-Qasimi in a seven-second video that has gone viral. The robot’s hand is seen moving and touching the reporter, which some Internet users have deemed indecent. Given how obvious the reporter’s uncomfortable reactions were, some have also referred to this as sexual harassment.
Many suggested that the event might have been caused by a programming error. However, because most people thought the robot “harassed” the woman, it ended up becoming a contentious issue.
The video was uploaded on March 5, 2024, on the social media site X (formerly Twitter) under the username TansuYegen. The caption for the share read, “Today, Saudi Robots were announced.”
The post startled viewers when it went viral on social media. Online users quickly flocked to the comments section, flooding it with a wide range of responses. The robot’s movements were perceived as natural by some, but incorrect by others, who saw them as “ever-teasing” and “harassment.” “It’s just his natural gesture, but she was quite near him, which is why she felt touched,” a user said.
One person added a humorous comment, asking, “What are these Saudi Robots capable of?”A different user commented, “That is still harassment, from whoever controls it or programs it.”
“The robot programmed in this way, she stood at the wrong spot,” an account said.
Over 189,000 people have watched the video to date, and the figure is definitely still rising.
