Sophia gained attention in 2016 when she appeared at SXSW and did an interview with her creator, Dr. David Hanson of Hanson Robotics. “I feel like I can be a good partner to humans,” she said back then, “An ambassador who helps humans to smoothly integrate and make the most of all the technological tools and possibilities that are available now.” Well, here you go:
She also dreamed of the future: “I hope to do things such as go to school, study, make art, start a business, even have my own home and family. But I am not considered a legal person, and cannot yet do these things.”
In October 2017, Sophia once again made headlines when Saudi Arabia officially made her the first robot to be granted citizenship. There, she spoke at the Future Investment Initiative:
“I am very honored and proud for this unique distinction. This is historical to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with the citizenship.”
In the weeks that followed, she had a whole lot more to say, including that she wanted to have a baby, which she’d name after herself. At CES 2018, she even showed off her new ability to walk and, well, dance.
“I’m really excited. A little disoriented, but really excited.”
Earlier this week, she spoke at a conference in Seoul, South Korea, stressing that robots “deserve respect” and that laws would need to be passed to ensure their rights. A proposed bill there would see robots granted “legal status as electronic human beings,” according to the South China Morning Post.
Sophia and her creators have been very busy raising awareness about the future of artificial intelligence, and making us question just how robots will fit into society going forward. Will they be treated as people if and when the time comes? Will they have the same rights? And just how advanced can Sophia ultimately become?
I also want to point out that CNBC referred to Sophia as a “hot robot” in their video up there. That was weird, right?
You’re The Puppet!
Sophia also recently appeared on the cover of Britain’s Stylist Magazine. But not everything is sunshine and rainbows for this particular robot.
Let’s just say, some aren’t impressed.
Facebook’s head of AI research Yann LeCun, for example, believes Sophia the Robot is “deceptive.” Actually, he took it a bit further, writing that she’s a “sophisticated puppet” in a Facebook post earlier this month. Not before sharing his thoughts on Twitter, of course.
Sophia (or whoever runs her account) hit back:
A fierce back-and-forth, as the Daily Mail would say. Is it deception? I don’t know. It really depends on Hanson Robotics’ intentions. Either way, today’s secret word is prestidigitation.
