Sophia (Hanson Robotics)

Saudi Arabia, 2017: a woman stands at the microphone, her head and lower arms uncovered, and without a male guardian by her side.

You might think you are in a parallel universe.
Or that there has been a radical change in women’s rights.

But that’s not the case. Say hello to Sophia, a robot who dares to defy the patriarchal culture.

This latest creation by Hanson Robotics, a specialist in humanlike robots, combines the best that robotics has to offer.
Sophia is designed to help the elderly and to work as a receptionist.

Using AI, she is capable of recognizing faces and human expressions and reacting to them using around sixty pre-recorded expressions. Small cameras enable her to move her eyes and make eye contact.

It’s a real achievement to have given a machine so many human qualities. Her ability to hold a conversation is mind-boggling. For example, during the interview in which she learnt that she had obtained Saudi nationality, she expressed a considered opinion on assorted topics and demonstrated a keen understanding of her own condition.

This might make you shudder, particularly if you heard what she said in 2016 when her creator, David Hansson, asked her if she wanted to destroy humanity. David begged her to say no, but she serenely replied: “OK, I’ll destroy humanity.”

Terrifying? You’re not kidding.