Please Never Sell Me A Car With A Robot That Looks Suspiciously Like Me

This blog started with a simple question from The Autopian’s publisher, Matt Hardigree: “Did you see this, Alanis? They turned you into a robot.” I’d normally skip robot news, because I’ve seen the Terminator franchise and know how this ends. But for whatever reason — ego, sick fascination, or something deeper I haven’t discovered yet — I had to know more.

Meet Mornine, the robot who looks like me if I had a stiff bodysuit, uncanny walking gate, and Pit Viper sunglasses. We both have blonde hair and noticeable thighs, but you can tell us apart because she’ll try to sell you a new car, and I’ll tell you the only thing you need is a 20-year-old Mazda Miata. Her name also sounds like “morphine,” while mine sounds like a plant genus. See? No mistaking us now!

Mornine is a project from Chinese automaker Chery and technology firm Aimoga. Chery’s been showing off the robot this year, most recently at an event where Chery said Mornine “introduced vehicle features, served beverages, and assisted guests with test drive bookings — demonstrating a warm, approachable, and highly capable service presence.” Mornine’s identity started as a virtual avatar, and is now a real, physical “Intelligent Sales Consultant” at a dealership in Malaysia.

At a recent event, Chery described Mornine as “a humanoid robot in a sleek silver-grey exosuit [that] gracefully moved through the showroom.” Naturally, as Mornine’s human competition, I had to see what I was up against.

I searched her on YouTube. She looks like she put on wet jeans, walked into sub-zero temperatures, and forgot to stop by the bathroom on the way out. I think I won this round.

Chery also calls Mornine “a digital character that could resonate with Generation Z — bridging the gap between the brand and younger consumers through the concepts of the metaverse and virtual humans.” I’ve always found this fascinating. I’m a Millennial on the cusp of Gen Z, and I’ve never seen people in my internet circles wish for more metaverse. The only person I ever see using that term is Mark Zuckerberg, and he’s definitely not Gen Z.

The way Mornine talks is also fascinating. In the video above, she’s showing off a car in a dealership showroom. She describes it in partial sentences, like a bulleted list:

• “Bold grille, cool engine”
• “Sleek profile, less wind noise”
• “Meticulously designed details”
• “Stylish LED headlights for safe night drives”
• “Plush leather, comfy seats”
• “User-friendly infotainment for a smooth drive”
• “Very impressive”

I’m sure the robot is capable of saying way more, but I didn’t learn anything there that couldn’t have been printed on a poster behind the car. Even if it was printed on a poster, I’d still say I didn’t learn anything. There’s nothing of substance in those bullet points, and as a car buyer, I’d rather ask a person questions and get some depth in return.

Mornine isn’t the most unsettling robot I’ve ever seen on screen — that’s probably the T-1000 — but after watching her hold a conversation, I don’t feel like she’s taking my place as a car expert just yet. Come back in 10 years, and we’ll see where she’s at. (Hopefully not a landfill.)

Top graphic images: Chery