Incident: LG Cloi Robot Fails Repeatedly at CES 2018 Unveil

Published Date: 2018-01-08

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident with the LG robot Cloi happened during CES 2018, as reported in Article 66958. 2. The article was published on 2018-01-08. 3. Therefore, the software failure incident with the LG robot Cloi occurred in January 2018. So, the software failure incident happened in January 2018.
System 1. LG robot Cloi's artificial intelligence technology 2. LG's in-house AI software ThinQ 3. Google's Assistant integration in LG's products 4. Cloi's ability to respond to commands accurately and consistently
Responsible Organization 1. LG - The software failure incident with the LG robot Cloi at CES 2018 was caused by LG, the creator of the robot. The robot repeatedly failed to respond to commands during its debut, leading to a disastrous presentation [66958].
Impacted Organization 1. LG [66958]
Software Causes 1. Software glitch in the AI technology of the LG robot Cloi led to repeated failures on stage during its CES debut [66958].
Non-software Causes 1. Hardware malfunction: The LG robot Cloi repeatedly failed on stage, indicating a potential hardware malfunction [66958].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident involving LG's robot Cloi at CES 2018 had a significant impact on the company's brand reputation, leading to mockery and jokes on social media platforms [66958]. 2. The failure highlighted a broader concern about the readiness of AI-based technologies being presented to the public, raising doubts about the technology's maturity and whether it is truly ready for mainstream adoption [66958]. 3. LG faced a short-term hit to its brand as a result of the software failure incident, serving as a reminder that achieving a "seamless" smart home experience is still a challenging goal [66958].
Preventions 1. Conducting thorough testing and quality assurance procedures before the public demonstration to identify and address any potential issues [66958]. 2. Implementing robust error handling mechanisms within the software to gracefully handle unexpected situations or failures [66958]. 3. Ensuring adequate training and preparation for the operators or presenters who will interact with the software during the demonstration to minimize the risk of miscommunication or misinterpretation of commands [66958].
Fixes 1. Conduct thorough testing and quality assurance processes to identify and rectify any bugs or issues in the software before public demonstrations [66958]. 2. Implement robust error handling mechanisms to gracefully handle unexpected situations and prevent complete failures during live presentations [66958]. 3. Enhance the AI algorithms and machine learning models powering the robot to improve its responsiveness and accuracy in understanding and executing commands [66958].
References 1. LG's marketing chief 2. David VanderWaal, LG's US marketing chief 3. Ben Wood, analyst at CCS Insight 4. Twitter users 5. Industry-watchers 6. Tuong Nguyen from the consultancy Gartner 7. Viewers of LG's YouTube livestream 8. Social media users

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: The article reports that LG's robot Cloi repeatedly failed on stage at its CES debut, representing a disastrous debut for the bot [66958]. This incident showcases a software failure within LG's own product line, indicating a failure within the organization itself. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: There is no specific mention in the article about similar incidents happening at other organizations or with their products and services. Therefore, it is unknown if this software failure incident has occurred at multiple organizations.
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be observed in the article where the LG robot Cloi repeatedly failed on stage at its unveil. The article mentions that Cloi was meant to showcase how new artificial intelligence tech could enhance the use of kitchen appliances but instead gave no response to three consecutive commands beyond blinking. This failure during the demonstration represented a "disastrous" debut for the bot, which was mocked on social media. It highlighted a problem with many of the AI-based technologies being pitched to the public, raising questions about whether the technology was really ready for prime time [66958]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be inferred from the same article. Despite the initial success of Cloi when asked for the schedule, subsequent requests to find out about washing, dinner plans, and recipe suggestions all failed. The audience reacted with laughter, realization of a problem, and then stunned silence as the robot repeatedly failed to respond to commands. This failure during the operation of the system showcased a significant flaw in the functionality of the robot during its public demonstration [66958].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident involving LG's robot Cloi at CES 2018 was primarily within the system. The robot, designed to showcase LG's AI technology, repeatedly failed to respond to commands during its debut, causing embarrassment and disappointment among the audience. The failure was attributed to issues within the robot's programming or hardware, as it was unable to perform basic tasks like providing information on schedules, laundry status, dinner plans, and recipes despite being designed for such functions [66958]. The incident highlighted a problem with the AI-based technology being pitched to the public, indicating that the software or AI system within Cloi was not fully ready for prime time, leading to a negative impact on LG's brand reputation [66958].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the article was primarily due to non-human actions. The LG robot Cloi repeatedly failed on stage during its CES debut, where it was supposed to showcase new artificial intelligence technology for controlling smart home appliances. Cloi gave no response to commands beyond blinking, indicating a failure in its programming or technical functionality [66958]. (b) Human actions also played a role in the software failure incident. The LG marketing chief mentioned that Cloi "doesn't like me" after it ignored his commands, suggesting a potential issue with how the commands were given or the interaction between the human operator and the robot. Additionally, the audience reacted with laughter and sympathy towards the marketing chief as the robot failed to respond to multiple requests, indicating a human element in the incident [66958].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident related to hardware: - The article does not mention any hardware-related issues contributing to the software failure incident with the LG robot Cloi at CES 2018 [66958]. (b) The software failure incident related to software: - The software failure incident with the LG robot Cloi at CES 2018 was primarily due to issues originating in the software itself. The robot repeatedly failed to respond to commands and showcase its intended capabilities, leading to a disastrous debut for the bot [66958].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident involving LG's robot Cloi at CES 2018 was non-malicious. The robot repeatedly failed on stage during its debut, ignoring commands and not responding as expected. This failure was attributed to technical glitches and issues with the artificial intelligence technology being showcased. The incident was described as a "disastrous" debut for the bot, leading to social media mockery and highlighting a broader concern about the readiness of AI-based technologies for prime time [66958]. (b) The software failure incident was not reported to be malicious, but rather a result of technical issues and failures in the demonstration of the robot's capabilities. There is no indication in the article that the failure was caused by any intentional actions to harm the system.
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions (a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions: - The software failure incident involving the LG robot Cloi at CES 2018 was likely due to poor decisions made in the development and presentation of the product. - LG's decision to showcase Cloi as the centrepiece of their presentation to demonstrate new artificial intelligence technology for smart homes backfired when the robot repeatedly failed on stage, leading to a disastrous debut [66958]. - The failure of Cloi to respond to commands and perform as expected highlighted a problem with the AI-based technology being pitched to the public, raising questions about whether the technology was truly ready for prime time [66958]. (b) The intent of the software failure incident related to accidental_decisions: - The software failure incident involving the LG robot Cloi at CES 2018 does not seem to be primarily related to accidental decisions or unintended mistakes. - The incident was more likely a result of poor decisions in the development, presentation, and readiness of the AI technology showcased by LG at the event [66958].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence (a) The software failure incident in Article 66958 can be attributed to development incompetence. The LG robot Cloi repeatedly failed on stage during its CES debut, ignoring commands and not responding as expected despite being designed to showcase new artificial intelligence technology for controlling smart home appliances. The failure was described as "disastrous" and highlighted a problem with many AI-based technologies being pitched to the public, raising questions about whether the technology was truly ready for prime time. This incident reflects a lack of professional competence in the development and testing of the robot's software and AI capabilities [66958]. (b) The software failure incident in Article 66958 does not seem to be accidental. The repeated failures of the LG robot Cloi on stage were not random or unexpected occurrences but rather a consistent inability to respond to commands and perform as intended during the CES presentation. The failure was not attributed to accidental factors but rather to a lack of readiness and competence in the development and implementation of the AI technology in the robot [66958].
Duration temporary (a) The software failure incident involving the LG robot Cloi at CES 2018 was temporary. The robot repeatedly failed on stage during its debut, ignoring commands and not responding as expected. The failure was evident during the presentation, causing a stunned silence in the audience and leading to social media mockery. The incident was described as a "disastrous" debut for the bot, indicating a temporary failure rather than a permanent one [66958].
Behaviour crash (a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a crash. The LG robot Cloi repeatedly failed on stage at its unveil by giving no response to three consecutive commands beyond blinking, indicating a failure due to the system losing state and not performing any of its intended functions [66958].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence non-human The consequence of the software failure incident related to the LG robot Cloi at CES 2018 was primarily in the category of "no_consequence." The incident did not result in any physical harm, death, impact on basic needs, property loss, or significant delays. While the failure was embarrassing for LG and led to social media mockery, there were no real observed consequences beyond the bot's malfunctioning during the presentation [66958].
Domain information (a) The failed system was intended to support the information industry. The LG robot Cloi was designed to help users control their smart home and showcase new artificial intelligence technology to enhance the use of kitchen appliances [Article 66958].

Sources

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