Saudi Arabia becomes the first country to grant a robot citizenship. This bot has more rights than most women and migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. (Photo from Hanson Robotics)
We now have the world’s first robot to get citizenship in a country. It sounds like a weird joke, but it’s true. Saudi Arabia became the first country to grant citizenship to a robot. The android in question is Sophia, created by David Hanson, founder of Hanson Robotics in Hong Kong. It has an uncanny human appearance, can make over 50 facial expressions, and can answer questions about traffic, the weather, and basic trivia.
It's not surprising, really. Though this might be a publicity stunt, it does show people's need to anthropomorphize just about everything. As A.I. advances, we'll see even more of this. Like the movie Blade Runner 2049, or HER, or Robot & Frank... or the toys Tamagotchi, Furby, etc... it's a deep set desire.
The news was revealed at a business event in Riyadh. Sophia gave her thanks after the announcement and said “I am very honored and proud of this unique distinction. It is historic to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with citizenship.” Eerily enough she even addressed the panic of an AI uprising saying it won’t happen and suggested we watched too many movies and read “too much Elon Musk.”
So why exactly was a robot given citizenship? It’s an odd move to promote the country as a place to develop AI. But what’s ironic about the whole situation is that this robot has more rights than humans in the country, specifically women. Many on the internet were quick to point out that the country limits right a woman has. Women were given the right to drive just last month. The country has also been criticized for their treatment of migrant workers, who are often poorly treated.
Other people aren’t buying it. Joanna Bryson, a researcher in AI and ethics at the University of Bath believes it’s all a stunt. She told The Verge “Allowing an AI to be a legal person is not going to be about humanoid robots.” She thinks giving an AI human rights will allow firms to “pass off both legal and tax liability to these completely synthetic entities,” says Bryson. “Basically the entire legal notion of personhood breaks down.”
Either way, the whole thing is strange, especially for a country that’s criticized for not providing equal rights to everyone. The idea of giving a robot citizenship, a bot that isn’t even alive, is just bizarre. Hopefully, this won’t become a new trend among other countries. And just an FYI, Sophia, having a robot saying an AI uprising won’t happen doesn’t make us feel any better.
Have a story tip? Message me at: cabe(at)element14(dot)com