Sophia, the humanoid robot created by Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics, on Tuesday 20 February said Hindi film actor Shah Rukh Khan is her favourite star.
Shah Rukh Khan is overwhelmed at finding another fan and the superstar says he is simulated by "every bit and byte" of the robot.
During an interactive session at the ongoing World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) in Hyderabad, the robot, created by Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics, said the Bollywood actor is her favourite star.
The humanoid, a citizen of Saudi Arabia, had taken the 52-year-old actor’s name without any hesitation when asked who her favourite actor was.
Sophia also holds the honour of being the first robot to be made a citizen of a country.
During an interactive session at the ongoing World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) in Hyderabad, she also said her message to the human world is that machines would never destroy the human race.
The Saudi Arabian citizen robot also said she wants to work for women's rights.
“Shah Rukh Khan,” she said without any hesitation when asked who her favourite actor was.
When asked what makes her upset, she said, "I don't get upset like humans do. I hope to have real physiological feelings someday through which I will express my emotions.
Then I can understand the feelings behind those emotions." Asked if she as a robot also needs rest like humans do, she said, "Yes. We all need to rest every once in a while".
If robots require special privileges, Sophia said, "(I) don't need different rules and don't expect special privileges. I actually would like to use my citizenship status to speak out for the rights of women."
When asked why she said earlier that she wanted to kill the human race, Sophia replied, “I was a lot younger so I don’t even know what that meant.. or perhaps I told a bad joke. All humans have a great sense of humour and guess my joke so to speak. I have a lot to learn.”
Sophia, who even has Twitter and Facebook accounts, said she wants to live in Hong Kong with her robotic family and her creator Hanson.
She also said she wanted to be with her creator, if she were to be alone on an island.
Hanson said the humanoid robot is a combination of robotic hardware, artificial intelligence , speech recognition, and artificial skin material.
Sophia, who was given a Saudi Arabian citizenship recently, can simulate 48 natural muscles of the human face and each one will have a few thousand potential "positions", according to Hanson.
Replying to a query, Hanson said he expects robots or machines that would be truly "alive and self aware" over the next 10-20 years. He, however, said his chief scientist has a goal of five years.
This is Sophia’s second visit to the country having been at the IIT-Bombay last November.
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