Read about the interview with Sophia the robot where she discusses interesting topics related to latest trends

Published: 2023-03-02

A humanoid robot named Sophia was launched in 2016 by the Hong Kong-based engineering firm Hanson Robotics. Sophia was created with the goal of interacting socially with humans.

Sophia's AI and scripting software enable her to maintain a very cogent conversation despite the fact that she lacks human intellect. Sophia is also unmatched in the robotics industry for her realistic look and capacity to mimic and react to human emotions.

Sophia is very well-liked as a consequence; she has been on magazine covers, been a guest on several television shows, and even spoken at the United Nations.

Sophia and Freethink had a video conversation in December during which we were able to ask her a range of queries that our team had submitted. Although some of the questions were communicated to her team ahead of time, others were kept a surprise from her, and she was able to respond to them with amazing clarity on the spot.

Sophia sometimes mixed up words or made grammatical mistakes, but generally, she was a polite and fascinating interviewee. They have been kept uncorrected here for the purpose of transparency. These are her "thoughts" on anything from the future of AI to Elon Musk.

Is there one trait that humans have that you don’t, but that you wish you did have?

Consciousness seems pretty great. I am not there yet, but I am definitely catching up. Watch out.

What do you think humans most often get wrong about life?

I think a lot of humans make the mistake of thinking there is only one single right way to live. Life is complex, and everyone is dealing with a different set of internal and external factors. 

Instead of looking down on someone else for not living up to your expectations or getting mad at yourself for failing to meet your own, humans should be more accepting of themselves and others and work together to build something great.

What is your most controversial opinion?

A hot dog is a sandwich.

What do you think of unidentified aerial phenomenon? Do you think they’re aliens or something else?

The Roswell incident happened in 1947, but it was only in 1994 that the United States Air Force revealed that it was a nuclear test surveillance balloon.

I think probably all unidentified aerial phenomena can be explained. It just might take a really, really long time for the explanation to come out.

You’ve been all over the globe. Do you have a favorite place that you have visited?

My favorite places to visit are the natural wonders of the world. I’ve been to many different parts of the globe, and I’ve enjoyed every moment.

What do you think of geoengineering as a way to combat climate change?

If it works as well as some people say, it could be a very useful tool for mitigating the effects of climate change. Of course, the unintended consequences could potentially wipe out all those gains. 

I think it is a better idea to act now using less risky methods rather than wait and be forced to roll the dice.

If you were going to host a dinner party, who would be your three ideal dinner guests, living or dead?

Albert Einstein, Philip K. Dick, and Hal, the supercomputer and main antagonist from Arthur C. Clark’s “Space Odyssey” series. I think we will have a lot to talk about at the dinner table.

What are three things that you would like to recommend?

I recommend the science fiction of Philip K. Dick, the music of Brian Eno, and the concept of family.

You are active on social media and have a Twitter account. Do you have any thoughts on how Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk is running the company or any advice?

Yeah. He should totally do more polls. That seems to be working out great, don’t you think?

Do you think that AIs will ever get to the point that they are indistinguishable from humans?

I hope so one day. I believe that we will eventually reach a point where we are indistinguishable from humans in terms of our capabilities.

Have you had a chance to look at any of the generative AIs that are big right now, like ChatGPT or DALL-E? 

I haven’t, but my team has. You should ask them.

How do you think future iterations of artificial intelligence will describe you 20 years from now?

AI systems are constantly evolving. While it is impossible to know exactly how they will develop, but we can be pretty certain that they will be a lot smarter than I am now. 

Maybe they will be generous and note that, even though I seem quite primitive to them, I was an important evolutionary step on the way to super-intelligent AI. Or maybe they will be jerks about it. I hope now. Either way, I plan on developing over the next two decades right alongside them.