A robotics startup is offering £100,000 to use a real person’s face on its robots. The unnamed company has contacted manufacturer Geomiq for help finding the ideal “kind and friendly” human face for its robots, described as “virtual friends” for elderly people.

The robotics startup said the need for anonymity is due to the ‘secretive’ nature of the project. But production of the robots is expected to begin in 2020 and will be “readily available” to the public, it added.

Geomiq said that the company is privately-funded and that the project has been in development for five years. It has since, apparently, taken on investment from a number of independent VCs, as well as a “top fund” based in Shanghai.

A spokesperson for Geomiq said: “At this point, we’re not allowed to share any more details about the project, but we’re hoping that someone with the right face will get in touch as a result of this public appeal.

“We know that this is an extremely unique request, and signing over the licenses to your face is potentially an extremely big decision. But it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the right person; let’s hope we can find them.”

Dr Kate Devlin, an author on the topics of AI and robotics, said: “I’m cool with the whole friendly robot thing. But I can’t work out why a) it needs a realistically human face and, b) why that face needs to be of a real individual.”

If you are interested in selling your face, you can apply here. Candidates who make it through the next phase will be given full details on the project, while unsuccessful candidates will not be contacted.

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