Robot to be master of ceremonies at South Korean wedding

Getting a robot to host a wedding, an event that many see as the ultimate demonstration of humanity, may seem a little weird to some, but to Seok Gyeong-Jae, one of the designers of Tiro the robot, it's perfectly natural. Gyeong-Jae is soon to be married in Daejeon (around 80 miles from Seoul), with Tiro taking the role of master of ceremonies. In order to completely, 100% remove any possibility that Tiro will come off as harsh or inhuman, he will simulate a female voice as he attempts to move proceedings along -- as the logic goes, if it works for in-car GPS, why not for weddings? There's no mention of how the bride feels about all this, so we're assuming one of the robot's alternate tasks is to keep her happy by acting as a personal servant until the big day: let's just hope that she doesn't mind if her "wedding in white" is realized via blinking LEDs.

[Thanks, HyperPC]

[sirius @ Jun 17th 2007 5:29AM]

LMAO... Bender ownz ^_^

BTW... Is that the time when robots are starting to 'take over'? :D
I sure wouldn't like to some tincan to marry me with someone. :P

( Not that I have something against innovation and technology ;) )

[Matt @ Jun 17th 2007 5:38AM]

Should I be thinking PreacherBot?

[GameFreak @ Jun 17th 2007 6:01AM]

Yeah, I think this was the photo you were looking for:
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/c/c7/Reverend_Lionel_Preacherbot.JPG

[Chuckles McGee @ Jun 17th 2007 8:46AM]

Or perhaps this:

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/3756/captureuf7.jpg

[anonymous @ Jun 17th 2007 6:09AM]

in b4 you may now kiss my shiny metal...

[anon @ Jun 17th 2007 7:18AM]

"Warning: You are about to sign away the rest of your life. Allow or deny?"

[Ismael @ Jun 17th 2007 7:27AM]

Whats up the lack of news today?

[strider_mt2k @ Jun 17th 2007 9:41AM]

It's a big web.

Go play.

[Tom Hellier @ Jun 17th 2007 9:42AM]

I for one welcome our robot reverend overlords.

[strider_mt2k @ Jun 17th 2007 9:50AM]

So say we all...

[L. Cyphre @ Jun 17th 2007 10:22AM]

In an attempt to counter the problems caused by the falling numbers of new priest ordinations, the Vatican has today announced a controversial step towards solving the problem - robots. The spokesperson of the Church, together with a representative from the robot manufacturer, Cyberdyne Corporation (founded by the eccentric and mysterious millionaire known only by the nickname of Sky Net) have described the event as 'the dawning a bright new future for the spiritual life of mankind'.
In other news...

[Daniel D @ Jun 17th 2007 11:51AM]

ROBOOOOOOOT HOOOOOUUUUUUUUUSEEEEE!

[jsanders4484 @ Jun 17th 2007 7:45PM]

Well I'm sure if "God" disapproves, he'll smite the preacherbot with lightning bolts. (So if the wedding abruptly stops due to the robot short circuiting..."God" wasn't happy with the idea.)

[paul34 @ Jun 17th 2007 1:30PM]

Jews or Gentiles, Robot or Human... God does not discriminate.

[paul34 @ Jun 17th 2007 1:31PM]

^^ that was a joke, btw! I'm not sure how God feels about robots.

[MinionOfCthulhu @ Jun 17th 2007 5:20PM]

Bride and groom to then play Starcraft on Master of Ceremonies.

[ethana2 @ Jun 17th 2007 8:33PM]

That allow or deny thing was, well, unrealistic. Who in their right mind would let the windows kernel get anywhere near something as important as a wedding? That thing should, beneath any AI involved, be running the Linux kernel. Thinking "Windows" when someone says "PC" is as inexcusable as thinking "qwerty" when someone says "keyboard" (chorded alternatives/stenography aside.)

Sorry for the rant. As far as, well, what God thinks about this, let me know when we encapsulate the human soul in a machine. I feel. I exist. Classic conundrum. Concerning the legitimacy of this wedding, it has witnesses, right? If they say it's good, who's to argue?
(typed in colemak by an ubuntu user)

[question girl @ Jun 17th 2007 11:45PM]

personally, i want to know what kind of malfunction action will take place when some one objects or she says "i don't" during the ceremony... will its head blast off? will it start making 3cpo noises? will lights and sirens sound?....

[osullivanbr @ Jul 18th 2007 3:16PM]

Can it drink and party at the wedding though. Bender Style.