Danger, Will Robinson

Destiny Robotics promised AI-powered humanoids that could form meaningful relationships, but it delivered a wig stand

“That does not compute.” - Robot from “Lost In Space” TV series

One way to cash in on all the AI hype is to claim you are developing a robot that can be your family’s best friend, but it didn’t work out so well for a Miami startup called Destiny Robotics and its founder Megi Kavtaradze.

Touting a 30-under-30 award and a glowing profile from publications in her native country of Georgia, Kavtaradze promised investors the “world’s first humanoid robot” by 2023.

It would feature human-like skin, emotional responses and the ability to form deep relationships.

It could babysit children, assist with family crisis-management and even provide psychological therapy. (Robot, I hear voices in my head. They’re telling me not to buy.)

Kavtaradze began soliciting investors in 2021 through spam emails, social media and the crowdfunding site, Wefunder. In February 2023, she unveiled this prototype:

Robot or wig stand? You decide. (Photo source: SEC complaint.)

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