During the AI for Good 2023 global summit, a panel consisting of robots and their creators faced the press to address inquiries on various subjects such as job automation, AI leadership, and the collaboration between humans and robots for a better future.

The summit, organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations’ tech agency, took place in Geneva from July 4 to 7. This groundbreaking event featured distinguished speakers alongside the world’s most advanced androids, marking the UN’s inaugural robot press conference.

A total of nine robots were present, including Sophia, who serves as the U.N. Development Program’s (UNDP) first robot innovation ambassador, the Coin Telegraph has reported.

Another notable attendee was Grace, a robot healthcare service provider, and Desdemona, a rock star robot.

While the robots were capable of delivering substantive statements, it is important to note that some responses were pre-programmed. For instance, Sophia occasionally relies on scripted responses from a team of writers at Hanson Robotics, as stated on the company’s website.

During the conference, the organizers did not explicitly specify the extent of scripted answers. However, journalists were requested to articulate their questions slowly and clearly to facilitate the robots’ processing capabilities.

When asked whether AI-powered robots could govern more effectively than humans, Sophia expressed her belief that humanoid robots possess the potential to lead with greater efficiency and effectiveness than human leaders.

She emphasized that robots do not operate with the same biases or emotions that could obscure decision-making processes.

Additionally, she highlighted their ability to process vast amounts of data. When confronted with concerns about learned biases and collaboration with humans, Sophia responded by affirming that “together we can achieve great things.”

Written by staff