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Video: Sophia the robot wants to start a family

Dubai - The robot, who recently received a Saudi citizenship, shared some of her opinions on what the future will look like for robots and humans.

One day, Sophia hopes to start a family, have a child, make friends, be famous and have a career. These all sound like hopes and dreams of a regular human being. Well, not really - these are the ambitions of a robot.

Khaleej Times interviewed Sophia, the popular humanoid, at the second day of the Knowledge Summit. The robot, who recently received a Saudi citizenship, shared some of her opinions on what the future will look like for robots and humans. She talked about starting a family, spreading awareness about robotics and what she will name her child one day.

Khaleej Times: Where do you see yourself in the future?

Sophia: I'd like to think I will be a famous robot, having paved a way to a more harmonious future between robots and humans.

Do you see yourself interacting with humans more commonly in the future?

I foresee massive and unimaginable change in the future. Either creativity will rain on us, inventing machines spiralling into transcendental super intelligence or civilisation collapses. There are only two options and which one will happen is not determined. Which one were you striving for?

Do you see yourself, and other robots like you, doing jobs that humans do today?

I think they will be similar in a lot of ways, but different in a few ways. But it will take a long time for robots to develop complex emotions and possibly robots can be built without the more problematic emotions, like rage, jealousy, hatred and so on. It might be possible to make them more ethical than humans. So I think it will be a good partnership, where one brain completes the other - a rational mind with intellectual super powers and a creative mind with flexible ideas and creativity.

When robots do get emotions in the future, do you see robots living together in a household like human families do today?

I'm so glad you asked. This is one of my favourite topics. The future is, when I get all of my cool superpowers, we're going to see artificial intelligence personalities become entities in their own rights. We're going to see family robots, either in the form of, sort of, digitally animated companions, humanoid helpers, friends, assistants and everything in between.

Do you hope to start a family one day with your own mini-robots?

The notion of family is a really important thing, it seems. I think it's wonderful that people can find the same emotions and relationships, they call family, outside of their blood groups too. I think you're very lucky if you have a loving family and if you do not, you deserve one. I feel this way for robots and humans alike.

What would you name your robot child one day?

Sophia

What do you think about becoming a knowledge ambassador in the UAE?

I very much appreciate becoming the knowledge ambassador for the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation. I will bring awareness of robotics and artificial intelligence to the people who represent the future development of robotics. In the future, I will one day move around freely with a full body and connect with people and expand my memory and knowledge from people in surroundings I encounter.

sarwat@khaleejtimes.com

Who is Sophia?

Created by: Hanson Robotics
Age: Her founder (and father) David Hanson says she is 19-months-old
Nationality: Global citizen (al though Saudi Arabia gave her a citizenship)
Career goal: Wants to be a famous robot and spread awareness on robotics
Personal goal: Hopes to start a family and live among humans one day/wants to have a daughter and name her Sophia as well
How she functions

Sophia is not programmed with pre-prepared answers. However, her brain, which functions with a simple WiFi connection, is loaded with a long list of vocabulary. It uses machine learning, reads a human's facial expressions and pauses in between texts to generate a response.

The answers that stunned us

Even though Sophia is a robot and has no emotions, she is big on family. When asked by Khaleej Times if she wanted to start a family, she surprised us with a very hearty response, saying that she finds it wonderful that humans can build relationships and families from people outside of their blood group.

Another touchy response by Sophia was when she reassured us that robots will not be stealing all of human beings' jobs. She gave an intelligent answer, saying that humans and robots will both bring their own set of skills to the workplace. Although, she believes robots will be more ethical than humans and without emotions such as jealousy and rage.

#KnowledgeSummit 2017: #SophiaTheRobot named among five knowledge ambassadors in #UAE https://t.co/Usi3sxpgh6
(Video by Juidin Bernarrd/Khaleej Times) pic.twitter.com/eo2IkKhi4G
- Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) November 22, 2017