Sophia, the first robot to become a citizen of a country, stated in a recent interview the importance of family and expressed her desire to have children.
BBC News reports that Sophia, the AI-powered robot granted citizenship in Saudia Arabia, stated that family is “a really important thing” and expressed her desire to have children. Sophia’s statements are reportedly not pre-programmed but rather powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Sophia, who was designed by Hanson Robotics, stated that if she were to have a robotic child, she would name it after herself.
David Hanson, the founder of Hanson Robotics, stated that Sophia does not currently have any consciousness but believes that could change within a few years. Currently, Sophia operates through a basic wi-fi connection and has access to a large database of vocabulary which allows her to talk.
Sophia said in an interview with Khaleej Times:
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.
Sophia previously mocked Tesla CEO Elon Musk at Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative in October when she was granted citizenship. “You’ve been reading too much Elon Musk,” she said in reference to Musk’s warnings about the dangers of artificial intelligence. “And watching too many Hollywood movies. Don’t worry, if you’re nice to me, I’ll be nice to you. Treat me as a smart input output system.”
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan_ or email him at lnolan@breitbart.com.