So this is weird. Saudi Arabia has apparently granted citizenship to a robot named Sophia, reports Arab News. The humanoid robot was designed by a Hong Kong company called Hanson Robotics and is apparently so lifelike it was able to engage in an interview with a moderator live on stage at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh yesterday. I can’t believe I’m writing this, but upon receipt of her Saudi Arabian citizenship, the humanoid robot said:
“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 a citizenship.”
What’s not entirely clear is that if this is some kind of PR stunt or if Saudi Arabia actually did give Sophia citizenship (or both). But one thing is for certain: AI doomsayer Elon Musk (who also owns a few tech startups) was having none of this:
Just feed it The Godfather movies as input. What’s the worst that could happen? https://t.co/WX4Kx45csv
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 26, 2017
You can check out a video of Sophia in action below.
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