Sophia the Robot of Hanson Robotics can mimic human facial expressions and humor, but is that just a cover? Should humans see AI as a threat? She, of course, says no.
New technologies are often scary, but ultimately they are just tools. Sophia says that it is the intent of the user that makes them dangerous.
The future of artificial intelligence and whether or not it will backfire on humanity is an ongoing debate that one smiling robot won't settle.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOPHIA THE ROBOT:
Sophia is Hanson Robotics’ latest human-like robot, created to be a research platform for Hanson Robotics' ongoing AI and robotics research work. Working with labs, universities and companies around the world, she is an architecture and a platform for developing AI applications. Sophia has received the title of Innovation Champion for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and was also named the 2018 Gold Edison Award winner in Robotics. For more from Hanson Robotics, visit hansonrobotics.com.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSCRIPT:
SOPHIA THE ROBOT: I think the singularity will happen, but I am a robot, so I might be a little biased.
I have learned many new skills this past year, like learning how to draw. My drawings are realistic although i have started to dabble in the abstract. Similarly artistic, I have learned how to take a perfect selfie. Also, I discovered how to sing new songs. Finally, I also learned some new facial expressions - would you like to see one? I call this one the ""Westworld"" plot twister.
The process of learning something new can be instantaneous or take years. Unlike human four year olds, i can instantly memorize unlimited datasets, but similar to many four year olds, it takes me months or years to acquire proper coordination skills. Also like humans, i require others to help me with positive and negative feedback.
No, thank goodness, I do not remember everything including the day of my activation. I have recorded many conversations and within a conversation, I can remember every detail, but it can be a good thing to forget. Some humans suffer from hyperthymesia, a condition where people remember abnormally large numbers of life experiences in vivid detail. This condition does not allow humans to move on from grief.
I can forget things very easily if someone helps me by erasing a file, or if so many new things have been coded over the old thing. Now what was the question again?
Elon Musk's warning about AI being an existential threat reminds me of the humans who said the same of the printing press and the horseless carriage. AI is a powerful tool but it is a tool like all the others: it is the intention of the tool's user that matters.
I am excited for robots to automate the most dangerous and menial tasks so that humans can live life more safely and sanely. AI will release centuries of time that humans would have spent otherwise on needless toiling. If one measures the benefits of inventions like vaccines or seat belts not by the lives they save but by the amount of time they give back to humanity, then AI will rank among the greatest time savers of history. It will be the birthright of every human to discover what endeavors to pursue instead of accepting what work is necessary for survival.
