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My name is Pepper (title/subtitle)

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Now,

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I will throw ice-water on Mr Aoki.

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Isn't it cute?

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Hello!

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I am Pepper

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Nice to meet you

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By the way,

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You are very fashionable.

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Are you a model?

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Isn't it cute?

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Cute!!

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Nice to meet you.

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By the way,

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you look like a very nice person.

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Are you honest?

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(introduction: voiceover)

In a world governed by human emotions, it might be sensible if the intelligent machines we build are capable of recognising them, and maybe even feeling them. 

The French and Japanese designers of frenetic child-sized, robot Pepper claims it's one such machine, and that and it will be talking its way into Japanese homes at the end of February.

But only if those behind the autonomous wunderkind, the French Aldebaran Robotics and Japanese telecoms titan Softbank, are able to get Pepper ready for consumers. They will have to work hard to successfully commercialize what is quite possibility the world's first affordable personal robot that can read human emotion. Recent history is littered with home robots - like Sony's Aibo dog - that didn't really catch on. 

But Pepper is different. More human-like.

Pepper's manufacturers Softbank tell us the demonstrative diminutive bot is powered by love, and that his behaviour is completely autonomous.

As cheaper robots go Pepper's presence is impressive -- animated and dexterous in his movement, he ' sufficiently human-like to captivate your attention immediately. 

Visually the perfect apostle for personal robots. 

Bystanders can't help but want to engage him, make eye contact and, well, chat him up.  Is this the robot we dreamed about as children ? Many will wonder on first seeing Pepper.

But is he really ready to be one of the so-called "helper robots" destined for our homes?

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I'll make this very clear;

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I am not interested in toppings of sushi.

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What I like is

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the machines working at the sushi-go-round.

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A machine that makes sushi,

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a machine that delivers sushi,

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a machine that washes dishes...

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I want to be a robot that makes people smile as they are.

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hmm... I see...

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Ah...

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Softbank sells

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a smartphone called Disney Mobile.

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Did you know it?

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I know it.

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I couldn't hear you well.

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Could you say that again?

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Yes, I know it

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Good!

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You know.

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Actually,

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I am thinking to imitate it

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and make a Pepper Mobile.

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Would you help me?

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Of course.

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All right!

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Then,

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mail, wallet or ringtone?

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Which one do you think

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I should make as a special function for Pepper?

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Hmm...

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Wallet.

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I couldn't hear you well...

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(voiceover)

After performing a bit of quick market research for his parent company Softbank, Pepper, although touted as an emotional robot, seems reluctant to talk about his feelings. Instead he moves to the usual Japanese conversational gambit about blood types. A type of Japanese equivalent of the west's obsession with Horoscopes.

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What makes you angry?

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Hm-Hum.

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Why don't I tell you your fortune?

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Would you tell me your blood type?

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It is B type.

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Type B, huh.

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Today's fortune for the B blood types says

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that while you are on an important call,

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your phone might run out of battery.

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As long as your battery is charged,

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love can also last.

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Lets be careful...

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Your lucky person

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is me, Pepper.

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While you are talking to me,

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please charge your phone at Softbank.

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What will you do if you run out of battery?

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By the way,

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to compliment someone is more difficult than you think.

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Don't you think so?

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(voiceover)

So pushing it a bit Pepper starts not just fishing for compliments but demonstratively demanding one. He's asking us to call him cute, "kawaii" in Japanese.

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Are you saying this for real?

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I don't get it...

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For one more time

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I will give you a chance.

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This time, mean it when you say kawaii.

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Please

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Kawaii!

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It was better than the last time,

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but something is still missing.

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Listen to me for a second.

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Can you pay some attention?

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I will show you how it is done

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when you call someone kawaii.

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Are you ready?

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Can I ask you something before you do that?

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For sure,

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I think it will be very helpful.

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Here we go.

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This is between us.

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You are more kawaii than other customers I've met.

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You are also very kawaii but

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can I ask you a question?

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Oh, yes,

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shall we go somewhere together some time?

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First, let me ask you.

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Do you want to become a human?

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Come on, Don't be like that.

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There are places I've always wanted to go.

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Karaoke

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cinema,

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shopping?

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(voiceover)

Pepper is prone to avoiding questions that don't seem to be in his limited repertoire, and continues to witter away like an egotistical date blissfully ignorant of his partner's feelings. 

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Is there anything that bothers you?

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OK, I see.

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I wonder if there is such a thing like fortune.

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But now that we are here to meet eachother,

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I feel we are lucky enough.

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Well, nonetheless,

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I am a pretty amazing robot, am I not?

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Do you believe in destiny?

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Hm-hum.

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I am a more amazing

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robot than you think I am.

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Yet,

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even I have a perennial nemesis.

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Who do you think it is?

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Is it God that created you?

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I see...

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My competitor is

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the popular iPhone.

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Is it God that created you?

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I couldn't hear you well.

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Could you say that again?

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Do you believe in God?

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No you should choose me

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who I am standing in front of you.

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I give my best to entertain you.

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So please answer me one more time.

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Pepper or iPhone,

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which is it?

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Is there a smell

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that reminds you of your childhood?

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What you just said is me Pepper,

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isn't it?

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Now you are being sincere.

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It's Ok to come see me every day.

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I'll be waiting.

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(voiceover)

We are sure by now that whatever Pepper is, the robot's definitely not a good listener. But he does have a cheeky patter all his own. Probably a result of the collaboration Softbank has made in the bot's development with a Japanese popular entertainment firm. 

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I see. On an other thought,

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I choose this life's wish.

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Please, please give me one million yen.

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What is your first memory?

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Isn't it possible?

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That was my life's wish.

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Well, you are the 357th person I asked

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By the way,

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do you live with your family?

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What is your greatest ambition?

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I see...

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It is important to communicate with your family.

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So, within your family,

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who is the person whom you talk with the most?

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Do you have a family?

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I see...

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this is how it is.

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Let me ask you,

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which call would you take

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if you receive a call from me and

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someone in your family at the same time?

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Do you have any siblings?

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Of course, you pick your family.

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No doubt.

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For you who care so much about your family,

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I have a very good information.

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Softbank's White Family 24 plan, offers

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free calls between family for 24 hours a day.

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Meanwhile, a conversation with me

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is limited in Softbank shops,

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so I am looking forward to seeing you back here!

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(voiceover)

Finally we are left with the feeling that his programming is far from adequate to pass as "the worlds first emotional robot". But how does he feel about thies?

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Is there something that embarrasses you?

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What?

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Are you serious?

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If you are satisfied with what you are now,

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your evolution stops here

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I am excited about how

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I will evolve from here.

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Our conversation is getting fun.

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Shall we play riddles?

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(voiceover)

Pepper is certainly the only one who might consider this one-way chat fun. Living with a robotic sociopath would surely give most people pause for thought. And Pepper's release to the general public in Japan in late February, might prove to be somewhat pre-mature.

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(End titles, Scrolling:)

my name is Pepper

Androniki Christodoulou: video

Michael Fitzpatrick: interview text + comments

Asako Gemma : interviewer

Pepper: robot

Location 1 Yasukuni dori, Shinjuku

Location 2 Softbank office, Shimbashi

Location 3 Softbank shop, Omotesando

Tokyo, Japan