Sophia (robot)
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Sophia is a humanoid robot developed by Hong Kong-based company Hanson Robotics. She has been designed to learn and adapt to human behavior and work with humans, and has been interviewed around the world. In October 2017, she became a Saudi Arabian citizen, the first robot to receive citizenship of a country.
History
Sophia was activated on 19 April 2015.[1] She is modeled after actress Audrey Hepburn,[2] and is known for her human-like appearance and behavior compared to previous robotic variants. According to the manufacturer, David Hanson, Sophia has artificial intelligence, visual data processing and facial recognition. Sophia also imitates human gestures and facial expressions and is able to answer certain questions and to make simple conversations on predefined topics (e.g. on the weather).[3] The robot uses voice recognition technology from Alphabet Inc. (parent company of Google) and is designed to get smarter over time.[1] The AI program analyses conversations and extracts data that allows Sophia to improve responses in the future.[4]
Hanson designed Sophia to be a suitable companion for the elderly at nursing homes, or to help crowds at large events or parks. He hopes that she can ultimately interact with other humans sufficiently to gain social skills.[5]
Events
Sophia has been interviewed in the same manner as a human, striking up conversations with hosts. Some replies have been nonsensical, while others have been impressive, such as lengthy discussions with Charlie Rose on 60 Minutes.[4] In a piece for CNBC, when the interviewer expressed concerns about robot behavior, Sophia joked he had been reading too much Elon Musk and watching too many Hollywood movies.[6] Musk tweeted that Sophia could watch The Godfather and suggested "what's the worst that could happen?"[2]
On October 11, 2017, Sophia was introduced to the United Nations with a brief conversation with the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed.[7] On October 25, at the Future Investment Summit in Riyadh, she was granted Saudi Arabian citizenship, becoming the first robot ever to have a nationality.[8][2] This attracted controversy as some commentators wondered if this implied that Sophia could vote or marry, or whether a deliberate system shutdown could be considered murder. Social media users used Sophia's citizenship to criticize Saudi Arabia's human rights record.[9][10]
References
- ^ a b "Could you fall in love with this robot?". CNBC. 16 March 2016.
- ^ a b c "Saudi Arabia bestows citizenship on a robot named Sophia". TechCrunch. October 26, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
- ^ "Hanson Robotics in the news". Hanson Robotics.
- ^ a b "Charlie Rose interviews ... a robot?". CBS 60 Minutes. June 25, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
- ^ "Meet the first-ever robot citizen — a humanoid named Sophia that once said it would 'destroy humans'". Business Insider. October 27, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
- ^ "A robot threw shade at Elon Musk so the billionaire hit back". CNBC. October 26, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
- ^ "'Sophia' the robot tells UN: 'I am here to help humanity create the future'". The Guardian. 13 October 2017.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia gives citizenship to a non-Muslim, English-Speaking robot". Newsweek. 26 October 2017.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia takes terrifying step to the future by granting a robot citizenship". AV Club. October 26, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
- ^ Gittleson, Ben (October 26, 2017). "Saudi Arabia criticized for giving female robot citizenship, while it restricts women's rights". ABC News. Retrieved October 28, 2017.