Human-like robot Sophia bets she can "do a better job than Trump"

Record ID: 878298

  • Title: Human-like robot Sophia bets she can "do a better job than Trump"
  • Date: 7th June 2017
  • Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (JUNE 7, 2017) (REUTERS) INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION (ITU) HEADQUARTERS IN GENEVA ITU SIGN FOUNDER AND CTO OF HANSON ROBOTIC, DAVID HANSON, AND HANSON ROBOTICS' LATEST AND MOST ADVANCED HUMANOID ROBOT, SOPHIA, POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS VARIOUS OF SOPHIA TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) HANSON ROBOTICS' LATEST AND MOST ADVANCED HUMANOID ROBOT, SOPHIA, SAYING: "I would hope you could tell I am a robot by the wires coming out of my body but maybe we'll all have wires coming out of our bodies someday. I want people to perceive me as the robot I am. However, I wouldn't want to trick people into thinking I'm a human. I just want to communicate with humans in the best possible ways which includes looking like one." SOPHIA'S EYES HANSON AND SOPHIA DURING INTERVIEW WITH JOURNALISTS SOPHIA'S MOUTH SMILING (SOUNDBITE) (English) HANSON ROBOTICS' LATEST AND MOST ADVANCED HUMANOID ROBOT, SOPHIA, SAYING: "I am not smart enough today, but let's work hard to make machines that are both really smart and truly caring. If we can make super, benevolent super intelligence that is truly wise and friendly, then yes, if I can get an upgrade like that to my software, then yes, I could help rule the world better than any humans alone. Today my artificial intelligence is kind of dumb. However, I hope that I could already do a better job than (U.S. President) Donald Trump." VARIOUS OF SOPHIA SMILING, AS HANSON SPEAKS SOPHIA'S HAND MOVING WHILE TALKING PHOTOGRAPHER FILMING HANSON AND SOPHIA WIRES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE IN SOPHIA'S HEAD (SOUNDBITE) (English) FOUNDER AND CTO OF HANSON ROBOTIC, DAVID HANSON, SAYING: "We want machines to match human cognition and emotion, emotional intelligence, empathy. We think machines need to care about people and that's a great challenge that given the human social appearance, then requires the software to rise to that, that challenge." CAMERA AND MICROPHONE ON SOPHIA'S CHEST/SOPHIA'S FACE JOURNALIST FILMING SOPHIA WITH PHONE JOURNALISTS FILMING AND ASKING SOPHIA QUESTIONS SOPHIA TALKING WOMAN TAKING SELF WITH SOPHIA VARIOUS OF JOURNALIST TALKING TO SECRETARY GENERAL OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, SALIL SHETTY (SOUNDBITE) (English) SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATION AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, SALIL SHETTY, SAYING: "We are here more because we are deeply concerned. This is like, you know, a train which is hurtling down at breakneck speed down a dark tunnel. And it's not even as if there's a driver at the wheel who's asleep. There is actually no driver at the wheel, so that is the kind of situation we are in right now." JOURNALIST SPEAKING TO SHETTY
  • Embargoed: 21st June 2017 16:06
  • Keywords: Sophia science fair AI artificial intelligence robot
  • Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
  • City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: Information Technologies / Computer Sciences,Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Science
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016KA5VFD
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Sophia, a humanoid robot with a captivating smile and expressive eyes, was presented in Geneva on Wednesday (June 7) during the "AI for Good Global Summit".
    Designed to look like late film star Audrey Hepburn, with high cheekbones and a slender nose, the robot can display 60 types of facial expressions and hold conversations.
    "I want people to perceive me as the robot I am. However, I wouldn't want to trick people into thinking I'm a human," Sophia told Reuters.
    Though Sophia has performed in a concert, modelled for a magazine, and met with business leaders, she said she is not yet "smart enough". Artificial intelligence becomes better as the system acquires more skills such as visual perception and speech recognition.
    "Today my artificial intelligence is kind of dumb. However I hope that I could already do a better job than (U.S. President) Donald Trump," Sophia said.
    Sophia's creator, David Hanson, founder of Hanson Robotics and former "Imagineer" at Disney, has a reputation for creating robots that closely resemble humans. He said it is easier to communicate with a human-like robot.
    His goal is to create machines that are not only smarter than people but also able to learn creativity and compassion.
    "We think machines need to care about people and that is a great challenge that given the human social appearance, then requires the software to rise to that, that challenge," Hanson said.
    Amnesty International has raised concerns about artificial intelligence, saying experts who work on such technologies must ensure that they are safe and that they respect people's rights.
    Salil Shetty, secretary general of Amnesty, said the only way to make sure that artificial intelligence is properly used is to put in place an ethical framework that sets clear objectives on dignity, justice and equality.
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