WATCH: Robot explains benefits of AI, internet to UN official

A robot called Sophia was bestowed the honor of speaking with United Nations deputy secretary-general Amina J. Mohammed during the day-long event “The Future of Everything: sustainable development in the age of rapid technological change.”

Sophia answered several questions asked by Mohammed, to the best of its abilities. However, it admitted it’s still learning.

One of the questions Mohammed asked involved the distribution of internet access to the rest of the world. Sophia answered by quoting William Gibson, “The future is here, it’s just not evenly distributed.”

Sophia then proceeded to talk about the benefits of artificial intelligence. One benefit allows for a more efficient way of evenly distributing the world’s resources and technology.

According to ZDNet, Mohammed warned of the risks involved in allowing technological progress to continue unmanaged. She fears it may further make inequalities worse rather than solve them.

Mohammed said, “The influence of technology on our societies should be determined by the actions of us, humans, not by machines. Technology is here for us to explore and use for the benefit of all.”

Sophia was created by a Hong Kong-based company called Hanson Robotics. The company aims to humanize robots and calls this the “Sophia quest.” Alfred Bayle/JB

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