YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. American-Armenian Paolo Pirjanian, whose Embodied, Inc. company has created the Moxie AI robot, believes that there is significant potential for the development of robotics and artificial intelligence in Armenia. According to him, while many countries possess oil, gas, and gold resources, Armenia's most valuable resource lies in its intellectual capacity. "Armenpress" interviewed Paolo Pirjanyan to discover the secrets of his success, upcoming activities and plans related to Armenia.

          "Following my interests, I realized that new doors were opening"

Paolo Pirjanian was born in Iran, moved to Denmark and then to the USA. He was interested in computers and programming from an early age. After earning a doctorate in robotics, he assumed a leading position in the field of consumer robotics. His impressive career includes work at NASA JPL. Pirjanian held leadership positions at iRobot, Evolution Robotics.

 - Your journey from programmer to leader in consumer robotics is quite remarkable. Can you share some special moments or experiences from your childhood that sparked your interest in computers and artificial intelligence?

 - I liked watching science fiction movies from a very young age. One of them was Star Wars, which inspired me to try to understand how robots work. A few years later, I bought my first computer. Obsessed with it, my parents kept trying to tear me away from the computer. I became very interested in computer science and technology and decided to study computer science in Denmark. During my studies, I "fell in love" with a robot. To be honest, it was not that pretty (ed: we laugh), but it was interesting. Then I decided to get a doctorate in artificial intelligence and robotics. After that, I chose to move to the USA to work at NASA on the robots being sent to Mars. I slowly began to follow my interests and noticed that new doors were opening for me. While working at NASA, I met a businessman who wanted to start a robotics company and was hiring a CTO (Chief Technical Officer). I really liked NASA, but I decided to leave my job there and pursue this new opportunity. We founded a company called Evolution Robotics. We created a tool that would enable the robot to move from one place to another. Later, we joined iRobot® with our technology and developed the first robotic vacuum cleaners, Roomba. More than 20 million units of it were distributed worldwide.

 -You have mentioned that your interest in robots was sparked by movies. Can you envision your robots appearing in movies one day? Did you believe that one day you would create a real robot?

 - In the very near future, my robots will also appear in films (ed: we laugh). I have never pondered whether I would achieve anything or not. When I focus on solving a problem, I already have a solution in my mind. No matter how challenging it is, it makes you to work until you reach your goal.

           "Moxie was born out of my problem"

Embodied, Inc., founded by American Paolo Pirjanyan, is a leading company in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence. Embodied's advanced robotic companions aim to enhance people's quality of life.

 -Mr. Pirjanian,  the Evolution Robotics has become significant milestone in your career. Can you discuss the transition from working at NASA to becoming an entrepreneur, focusing on the challenges and opportunities you came up against with?

- The project budget at NASA was unlimited. When we started Evolution Robotics, we aimed to bring a robot to the market that would be accessible to people. Our challenge was to make a billion-dollar technology available to the public.

- The decision to found Embodied was made with a clear vision of creating socially and emotionally intelligent companion robots. What inspired you to choose this direction, and how has this vision evolved since the founding of Embodied?"

 - In childhood, people go through many difficulties. For example, some children may have autism or other psychological problems. Sometimes the divorce of their parents can have negative impact on them. If no one helps them, these challenges can affect them for the rest of their lives. We have witnessed what happened in Artsakh, where thousands of children have been deprived of their homes, facing many trials. If we do not help these children, treat them psychologically, we cannot predict what will happen to them in the future. Consider the situation in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza—children in every corner of the world need help. There are specialists to address this problem: psychologists, but their services are often very expensive and inaccessible. We understood that technology can help in such situations. We have created the Moxie robot, which primarily focuses on EQ, developing emotional intelligence. Additionally, we have started working on IQ.

 - Why has this problem affected you?

-I was born in Iran, and we moved in 1975.  As Christians, it was a very dangerous situation for us. My parents decided to send me to Europe. Being separated from my parents at the age of 11 was very difficult. That process caused emotional and psychological difficulties. Finding a solution to the problem was a big goal for me. I tried to do everything to help the next generation. I mean, Moxie was born out of my problem.

 "Other countries have oil, gas, gold; we Armenians have brains”

 - Mr. Pirjanian,  you grew up in an Armenian family. How has your Armenian heritage influenced your personal and professional path, especially in robotics and technology?

- There were not many Armenians in the country we moved to, but the blood was always calling. The first program I wrote was to print a newspaper for our Armenians. It is in our blood and history that we want to do everything to dedicate every step to the Armenian people.

- You speak Armenian very well, how did you manage to learn Armenian despite the fact that you were born in Iran, moved to Denmark and started your life there?

 - First of all, thank you (ed: we laugh). We have always been proud to be Armenians. When meeting new people, the first thing we said was that we are Armenians, then that we are one of the oldest nations; we were the first to accept Christianity, etc. My son was also born in the USA, he used to speak English, but now, at the age of 24, he realized that being Armenian, speaking Armenian, is a matter of pride, and he switched to Armenian. I think it is from the parents. My father and mother have always been proud to be Armenians.

- Given your experience and success in the high-tech sector, have you considered opportunities to contribute to or collaborate with Armenia's growing technology ecosystem?

 - It was about 12 years ago that I came to Armenia for the first time and then I decided to collaborate with the Armenian IT sector. We have gathered a team and we are very proud because we have many good specialists here. Our company has a total of 60 teammates, 20 of them are in Armenia. Robotics is going to be a very important field for the world. This is also an area of military importance for both us and other countries. It was 2005 when they contacted me from South Korea and invited me to help them develop robotics. In other words, back in 2005, they decided to compete with Japan in that field. Armenia now has capabilities. We have the experience; we have that talent in Armenia. With the support of the government, we can bring new investors and develop the sector. We have the necessary experience and can start manufacturing robots in Armenia.

 - How do you assess the current state of technology and innovation in Armenia? Do you think there are untapped opportunities for further growth and collaboration?

- In my opinion, the most important resource of Armenia is the brain. While other countries may have gas and gold, we have brains. We must leverage this resource to become stronger and develop the economy. Robotics and artificial intelligence are some of the areas to focus on now. Many countries are competing in these fields, and we have a lot of experience that we need to harness to maximize our potential.

-What advice would you give to Armenian entrepreneurs starting in the technological field, based on your own experience and journey?

For example, the founder of "Amazon," Jeff Bezos, created a company that is bigger than many countries. He started his activity by selling books and reached the field of robotics and artificial intelligence. The basis of his success has been his way of thinking, but at the same time, the culture he has created around him. It's important to have a team-building, management culture that is tied to EQ. Going back to that point, Moxie's primary goal is to build strong EQ in children, which will be needed at any age. The foundation is very important. It is necessary to work on this in Armenia as well.

 “In 1-2 years we will have an Armenian speaking Moxie robot’’

Moxie acts as a companion for the child, serving as a friend and mentor. Thanks to the use of advanced technologies, Moxie AI takes a holistic approach to promote the development of basic skills through interactive games. Moxie AI offers children a safe, judgment-free environment to explore and practice social, emotional, physical, cognitive skills, builds a child's confidence, skills, critical and creative thinking, and lays the foundation for success. Statistics have shown that in just one month, 71 percent of children using Moxie improved their behavior and social skills. Embodied's Moxie AI robot won the top prize in the "Artificial Intelligence" category at the CES 2024 international consumer electronics exhibition in Las Vegas.

 -Will we have an Armenian-speaking Moxie robot in the future?

 - Of course.

 - Are there any deadlines?

 - Maximum 2 years.

 - When we talk about artificial intelligence and technology, the privacy of personal data is important. Do you ensure that the data of children using Moxie AI is protected?

- Yes, security and privacy are also very important to us. Any data we collect and use to train our artificial intelligence models is depersonalized.

-Congratulations to Moxie on winning the main prize in the category "Artificial Intelligence". What impact will this recognition have on Embodied's mission and the future of intelligent robotics?

 - Moxie has won numerous times for us, and we are proud of it. As I mentioned, part of our team is also in Armenia, which is another source of pride for us. We attach great importance to these competitions because they bring us recognition on the world stage. Standing alongside very reputable companies and it is our product that achieves success. We are definitely proud.

- Mr. Pirjanyan, we could talk endlessly about your career and successes. Thank you for not rejecting our invitation and for honestly answering our questions.

- Thank you

By Karine Terteryan

Photos by Hayk Harutyunyan