LOOK: Samsung’s self-learning dog-bot is revolutionary, but it’s also very creepy

If you’ve seen even just one episode of Netflix’s Black Mirror (Metalhead, anyone?), you can probably think of a million dark ways this can go down.

Hopefully, Samsung’s M1 prototype don’t go down those paths when they reach the market. Conceptualized by Italian designer Gaetano de Cicco and unveiled earlier this year, these futuristic robot’s creepiness begins with its features: a seeming silicone “skin,” four legs that appear to comprise of canine-like joints, and a muscular structure that easily resembles a ribcage. Without a wagging tail or a mouth that barks or cries, the robot instead has an interactive digital display that presents coded emotions and notifications.

Yep, a headless robot-dog that can frolic on its four crooked legs.

If you don’t think that’s creepy enough, wait until you learn this: the M1 is able to self-learn. Meaning, it can learn intuitive things that a dog would such as fetch, chase, and respond to calls. This robotic autonomy makes sense when we found out that it’s meant to be a watchdog, patrolling premises, and identifying intruders.

And I’ll be damned if I don’t run from a scary mechanical dog.

This might be the furthest we’ve gone with regards to incorporating artificial intelligence in domestic robots, after robo-dogs Aibo from Sony and Spot from Boston Dynamics.

While the notion of a robotic patrol dog looks promising, we doubt anyone would want to wake up to a faceless quadruped pet first thing in the morning.

(all images from Gaetano de Cicco/Samsung)