The Russian robot that gained internet infamy by “breaking out” of its lab a few months ago just can’t stay out of trouble. A new report says that Promobot was “arrested” at a political rally in Moscow.
After traveling to Moscow from its home in Perm (this time accompanied by technicians), Promobot attended a rally for Russian Parliament candidate Valery Kalachev. According to a spokesperson for the company, it was collecting voter opinions “for further processing and analysis by the candidate’s team.” It is believed that someone reported this suspicious activity to police and they quickly arrived on the scene.
“Police asked to remove the robot away from the crowded area, and even tried to handcuff him,” the Promobot spokesperson told Inverse, adding that the robot did not “put up any resistance.”
In a tactic straight out of the NYPD’s playbook, Russian police told the cameraman that they just needed to clear the way for people to walk.
Ever since the bot grabbed headlines back in June, people have speculated that its rebellious ways are just a publicity stunt. Regardless, a cute little robot is being used to collect voter data at a political rally. That’s either great or terrifying. Promobot’s makers better hope it doesn’t start reading Adbusters.
[SitiBe]