On December 17, 2024, Captcha, a humanoid robot, made history as the first robot teacher in a German high school in Delmenhorst. The robot delivered an interactive lecture on the differences between artificial intelligence (AI) and human thought, engaging students with questions to ensure comprehension.
Captcha's appearance followed a study indicating that kindergarten-aged children prefer learning from a competent robot over an incompetent human. The study concluded that children are willing to learn from a robot, even if they recognize its mechanical nature.
During its teaching debut, Captcha moderated debates on significant ethical topics, including AI's financial autonomy and responsibility for crimes committed by AI. Hidoba Research, the robot's creator, described Captcha as an impartial moderator, evaluating arguments based on their logical structure.
Beyond its role as a teacher, Captcha has participated in various events, including traveling on public transport in the U.S. and attending academic conferences.
Hidoba Research labels Captcha as a 'social robot' capable of understanding and interacting with humans, speaking five languages, and adapting its personality. However, studies suggest that human-like robots can evoke fear due to the 'uncanny valley' effect, raising questions about human-robot interactions.
The uncanny valley effect is a psychological phenomenon in which people feel uncomfortable, disgusted, or even afraid when interacting with robots, characters, or objects that look or behave almost like humans, but still not quite natural.