Modeled after the late actress Audrey Hepburn, a humanoid robot named Sophia is highly mobile and able to express and display a wide range of human emotions. The “latest and most advanced robot” created by Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics was activated on 19 April 2015. At an October 2017 technology summit in Riyadh, the life-like android announced that she had recently been granted citizenship by Saudi Arabia, making her the first robot to become a citizen of any country.
Saudi Arabia's first robot citizen:
- “I am very honored and proud for this unique distinction,” she told attendees. “This is historical to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with a citizenship.”
- Sophia has artificial intelligence, visual data processing, and facial recognition abilities. She can imitate human gestures and expressions and is able to hold simple conversations on some topics.
- Sophia's intelligence software was designed by SingularityNET, with the goal of making Sophia smarter over time.