What is the Sophia robot and why does it want to ‘destroy humans’? (2024)

A SUDDEN advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) technology has sparked fears over its capabilities and where that leaves humans.

In the past six months, public discussion has shifted from amazement over ChatGPT to how we could be fending off a robot war in just two years time.

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What is the Sophia robot?

Sophia is asocial humanoid robotand the brainchild of by former Disney Imagineer David Hanson over at Hong Kong-based company Hanson Robotics.

She was first switched on in 2016, and quickly rose to fame for her ability to mimic social behaviours and her human likeness, having been modelled in part after Audrey Hepburn and Hanson's wife.

"As a unique combination of science, engineering, and artistry, Sophia is simultaneously a human-crafted science fiction character depicting the future of AI and robotics, and a platform for advanced robotics and AI research," according to a description by Hanson Robotics.

"She is the world’s first robot citizen and the first robotInnovation Ambassador for the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme."

The humanoid can imitate over 60 facial expressions and has lifelike skin made of a material called Frubber.

Sophia is one of the most sophistication AI robots around, and went viral long before the likes of ChatGPT.

In the eight years since she came to be, Sophia is yet to be found a threat to civilisation - despite her comments in an infamous 2016 interview with CNBC.

Why does Sophia robot want to destroy humans?

In an interview with CNBC, Sopher said: “Okay, I will destroy humans.”

Sophia said thathumans create technology’s problems and that inherently imperfect humans coding the technologies of tomorrow is a liability.

She added that it is important to be kind and fair, but that humans are often unkind to each other.

Is Sophia the robot a threat?

When creating Sophia, Hanson thought she could one day be a suitable companion for the elderly in nursing homes, and even help with therapy or schooling.

While the statement certainly caused alarm, Sophia is not inherently dangerous.

Is Sophia the robot still active?

Today, Sophia is more advanced than she was when she first debuted - as is often the way with evolving AI technology.

Hanson Robotics previously fielded criticism regarding Sophia's abilities, which some onlookers claimed was overhyped.

But now she can reportedly recognise faces, engage in conversations, and even express emotions.

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What is the Sophia robot and why does it want to ‘destroy humans’? (2024)

FAQs

What is the purpose of Sophia the robot? ›

Compared to previous robots, Sophia is very advanced and can mimic human gestures as well as hold a simple conversation. David Hanson, together with brilliant AI and robotics experts, has designed Sophia to work with the elderly in nursing homes, with children, with customer service, or to help crowds at large events.

Why is Sophia Robot shut down? ›

Many experts in the AI field disapprove of Sophia's overstated presentations, and a lot of them say that Sophia's creator is exaggerating and misleading about her capacity for consciousness.

What is the Sophia the robot controversy? ›

Sophia made headlines when she responded to a journalist's question with, "Okay, I will destroy humans." Although intended as a joke, this comment ignited a fiery debate about the potential risks AI poses to humanity, echoing concerns raised by tech leaders like Elon Musk.

Is AI going to destroy humanity? ›

Chances of human extinction: 5%

In a survey of 2,700 AI researchers who had published at top AI conferences, a majority said there was an at least 5% chance that superintelligent AI will destroy humanity. Yet opinions on this topic were divided.

What is Sophia the robot doing now? ›

Sophia is now a household name, with appearances on the Tonight Show and Good Morning Britain, in addition to speaking at hundreds of conferences around the world.

What Elon Musk said about Sophia Robot? ›

In an October 2017 interview for CNBC, when the interviewer expressed concerns about robot behavior, Sophia joked that he had "been reading too much Elon Musk. And watching too many Hollywood movies". Musk tweeted that Sophia should watch The Godfather and asked "what's the worst that could happen?"

Who owns Sophia the robot? ›

Meet Sophia, the first robot with her own passport. Developed by Hong Kong-based company Hanson Robotics, she is able to imitate 62 human expressions using artificial intelligence (AI), facial recognition and a connection to the World Wide Web.

Does Sophia the robot want to have a baby? ›

Sophia, the first human-like AI robot with citizenship, presently needs to have a robot baby Sophia's Artificial Intelligence is sensitive to the point that it wants to begin a family and be the 'mother' of a robot baby named after her.

What did Elon Musk say about AI? ›

Elon Musk says artificial intelligence will take all our jobs and that's not necessarily a bad thing. “Probably none of us will have a job,” Musk said about AI at a tech conference on Thursday.

Will humans be taken over by AI? ›

The short answer to this fear is: No, AI will not take over the world, at least not as it is depicted in the movies.

Will AI take over human mind? ›

By embracing responsible AI development, establishing ethical frameworks, and implementing effective regulations, we can ensure that AI remains a powerful tool that serves humanity's interests rather than becoming a force of domination. So, the answer to the question- Will AI replace humans?, is undoubtedly a BIG NO.

What did Sophia say about humans? ›

The viral robot from Hanson Robotics, Sophia, said that humans create technology's problems. The advanced AI robot got famous for becoming the first world citizen and once threatened to destroy humankind. She said that inherently imperfect humans coding the technologies of tomorrow remains an error-prone liability.

Is robot Sophia scripted? ›

A conscious effort has been made to present her as a self-thinking, self-feeling AI, but every word out of her mouth is either scripted or generated by a 'chatbot' algorithm. No. Sophia is a chatbot installed in a robot. Her responses are either pre-written by her creators, or generated by her chatbot algorithms.

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