Sophia's Visit And Bangladesh's Robotic Implications

The recent visit to Bangladesh by the world’s first artificially intelligent robot from Hanson Robotics, Sophia, left everyone in awe, and often in splits, thanks to her artificial intelligence (AI), which was responsible for her quirky computational humour.

- Wafiur Rahman

Everyone applauded when she answered most of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s queries at the recently-concluded Digital World 2017, asking how Sophia knew about Hasina. In reply Sophia said that she had read much information about the Prime Minister and Bangladesh. “I know you are the daughter of the great leader father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. You are also known as the Mother of Humanity in the world and you are implementing the Digital Bangladesh,” she said. Sophia also said that she knows it very well that the name of the Prime Minister’s granddaughter is Sophia too. “Yes, the name of Joy’s (Prime Minister’s son and the ICT Advisor) daughter is Sophia,” the smiling Prime Minister informed the audience who were clapping loudly.

The audience caught a glimpse of her sharp and unintentional wit, thanks to her AI-programmed computational humour, as replying to another question why both she and discussion moderator Syed Gousul Alam Shaon, Managing Director of Grey Advertising Bangladesh Ltd, are bald, she replied that she is bald by design, while he suffered from receding hairline, so they are not the same.

When Shaon tried to hint at their ideal matching based on their zodiac signs, she replied that although she was created on February 14, she is well informed that Shaon has a beautiful wife and so he should concentrate on her and not Sophia.