First Robot to be given citizenship

Hanson Robotics

Sophia,  is a Robot Designed by the Robotics company called Hanson Robotics, and is the only Robot to have received Citizenship of  Saudi Arabia.   This took part during the “Future Investment Initiative” held in the Saudi Arabian Capital of Riyadh.

Watch the video below and see how “human-like” she is, her expressions, the way she listens, blinks, and the vocabulary she uses to address the questions asked.  I wonder how you feel about working alongside a Robot or having a Robot work for you at home, helping around the house.  Well that is another step these Robots are heading.

 InMoov Robots

In our current times people are less and less available to help elders, so the elderly´s  destiny is to live alone and without support, even their own family relatives help them less.

The future is to use Robots to help elderly people, not only in a physical way, such as making a drink or to get food from the fridge, but also on a mental/emotional way. InMoov Robots have been designed Robots with another idea in mind, they are intended to be used to help people with Dementia. The voices of family members can be programmed into the Robot so that the person with Dementia thinks they are talking to that member of the family. This was one of the projects shown during the Dutch Design Week.

In a society where we are moving away more and more from the natural, and the roots of where we are from and who we are I don´t think this is the way forward.  Although I am totally for the development of technology, I think this may be going a little too far. Do we want our parents or relatives to be tricked into believing that we are there when we are not? Is this ethical? I certainly see the benefits in society of having Robots “ease” workload, but not to substitute giving company and love to our dearest and nearest ones.

What do you think?…