Sophia (robot)
2016 social humanoid robot
Sophia is a female-presenting social humanoid robot developed in 2016 by the Hong Kong–based company Hanson Robotics. Sophia was activated on 14 February 2016, and made her first public appearance in mid-March 2016 at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, United States. Sophia was marketed as a "social robot" who can mimic social behaviour and induce feelings of love in humans.
Sophia has been covered by media around the globe, and has participated in many high-profile interviews. In October 2017 Sophia was granted Saudi Arabian citizenship, becoming the first robot to receive legal personhood in any country. In November 2017 Sophia was named the United Nations Development Programme's first Innovation Champion, and is the first non-human to be given a United Nations title.
History
Sophia was first activated on 14 February 2016. The robot, modelled after the Ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, Audrey Hepburn, and her inventor's wife, Amanda Hanson, is known for her human-like appearance and behaviour compared to previous robotic variants. Sophia imitates human gestures and facial expressions and is able to answer certain questions and to make simple conversation on predefined topics (e.g. the weather).
“Sophia (robot)” enters the record as 2016 social humanoid robot. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Sophia, robot and social can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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