Saudi Arabia Becomes First Country to Grants Citizenship To A Robot

Published

7 years ago

October 28, 2017

Saudi Arabia Becomes First Country to Grants Citizenship To A Robot

History was made in Saudi Arabia yesterday as a humanoid robot has been granted citizenship for the first time.

The robot, Sophia, took to the stage at a conference in Riyadh this week to express her delight at being given citizenship, which she described as ‘historical.’

Sophia also mocked Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, claiming that her interviewer had been ‘reading too much Elon Musk’, in response to his concerns about robots.

Sophia

Not everyone is happy with the Sophia’s citizenship, with some describing her as ‘bizarre’ and others referring to it as ‘Terminator in real time.

Sophia is a humanoid robot designed by Hong Kong firm, Hanson Robotics, who has previously hit the headlines for addressing the UN.

Speaking at the conference, Sophia said: ‘I am very honoured and proud for this unique distinction.

‘This is historical to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with a citizenship.’Sophia went on to explain her hopes for robots in the future.

During an exchange with moderator, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Sophia said: ‘I want to live and work with humans so I need to express the emotions to understand humans and build trust with people.’

The robot also bizarrely took a dig at Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla.

When Mr Sorkin said that ‘we all want to prevent a bad future’, Sophia replied: ‘You’ve been reading too much Elon Musk and watching too many Hollywood movies.

‘Don’t worry, if you’re nice to me, I’ll be nice to you.Treat me as a smart input output system.’

Elon Musk has since responded to Sophia’s dig, tweeting: ‘Just feed it The Godfather movies as input. What’s the worst that could happen?’

While Sophia is happy with her citizenship, other have expressed concerns on Twitter about it.

Kareem Chehayeb said: ‘A humanoid robot called Sophia got Saudi citizenship, while millions linger stateless. What a time to be alive.’

GP Burdon added: ‘Sorry I’m late for work. I was watching the beginning of the Terminator in real time.’
And Grant J Kidney simply described the honour as ‘bizarre and terrifying.’

This isn’t the first time that Sophia has worried people.

In March 2016, David Hanson, Sophia’s creator, asked the robot: ‘Do you want to destroy humans?…Please say no.’

Worryingly, Sophia responded, ‘OK. I will destroy humans.’

Related Topics:humanoid robot Robot Saudi Arabia Technology

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Ayra Starr Opens For Coldplay In Sold-Out Stadium Concerts

Published

7 hours ago

November 5, 2024

Reporter

Ayra Starr opens for Coldplay in sold-out stadium concerts | fab.ng

Grammy-nominated singer Ayra Starr is achieving new heights in her career as she joins the legendary band Coldplay on their Australian tour.

Currently, the Music of the Spheres 2024 World Tour has Coldplay headlining 11 dates across Australia and New Zealand.

First, Ayra Starr joins Zimbabwean singer Shone and Australian X Factor contestant Emmanuel Kelly as opening acts for the multi-award-winning group. Consequently, this opportunity allows her to perform in front of large international audiences.

Moreover, at their Coldplay concert at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, Ayra Starr energetically entertains thousands of fans. Specifically, she performs her hit single “Rush” and additionally thrills the audience with popular tracks from her sophomore album, ‘The Year I Turned 21’.

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Her engaging stage presence and unique sound made an impression on Coldplay’s fans. Further marking yet another success for the Nigerian star, she continues to expand her global influence.

Adding to her impressive achievements, Ayra Starr features on Coldplay’s latest album, ‘Moon Music’. She collaborates with the band on the track “Good Feeling.”

This collaboration is particularly historic, as she becomes only the fourth woman to feature on a Coldplay track. Interestingly, she follows the likes of Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Selena Gomez, in the band’s nearly 30-year history.

Ayra Starr has enjoyed an exceptional 2024, which began with a historic Grammy nomination. Furthermore, this makes her the first Nigerian female lead artist to earn this recognition.

Her album, ‘The Year I Turned 21’, continued to build her commercial success with standout guest appearances from Nigerian stars Asake and Seyi Vibez, American R&B artists Giveon and Coco Jones, and Brazilian sensation Anitta.

Each collaboration has contributed to her global appeal, further establishing her as one of Africa’s top music exports.

Recently, Ayra Starr received nominations for the 2024 MTV EMAs in two categories—Best New Artist and Best Afrobeats.

As her global presence grows, she is set to represent Africa proudly at the awards show on November 10 in Manchester. This would mark another milestone in her remarkable journey.

MOVIES

Showmax To Screen “Princess On A Hill” At AFRIFF 2024

Published

10 hours ago

November 5, 2024

Reporter

Princess on a Hill to screen at AFRIFF 2024 | fab.ng

In celebration of African storytelling, Showmax announces that its upcoming Nigerian Original drama, Princess on a Hill, will screen at the 13th edition of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) on Thursday, November 7, 2024.

Furthermore, the TV series brings a captivating story of ambition and corporate power struggles to the festival on its screening date.

Additionally, MultiChoice, Showmax’s parent company, will host a panel session titled “Crafting Local Content for Global Success,” which explores how African narratives can reach global audiences.

In this limited series, co-creators Abiola Sobo and Tolu Ajayi tell the story of Zara (Onyinye Odokoro), a young executive who enters a high-stakes corporate environment after winning a reality show.

Subsequently, she faces off against the fierce CEO, Moyosore Lawson (Bimbo Manuel). As a result, Zara must adapt to her new reality in the complex and cutthroat world of high-stakes business, where power struggles and ruthless competition dominate.

Moreover, the series showcases the complexities of power and ambition while demonstrating Showmax’s commitment to authentic African storytelling.

Meanwhile, MultiChoice will present an exclusive session at this year’s festival, focusing on “Crafting Local Content for Global Success.”

During this session, key industry players and stakeholders will lead discussions on Thursday morning, November 7, 2024. First, they will highlight local content’s importance in global entertainment.

Then, they will explore strategies to produce TV content that connects with diverse global audiences.

Above all, MultiChoice and Showmax actively support AFRIFF’s mission to elevate African filmmakers and create a global platform for African stories.

Finally, viewers can watch Princess on a Hill when it premieres on Showmax on Thursday, November 7, 2024.

Are you interested in staying updated? You can discover more exciting movie updates by visiting our website.

NEWS

Bobrisky Released On Bail After Denying 15 Million Naira Bribery Allegations

Published

1 day ago

November 4, 2024

Reporter

Bobrisky granted bail after denying N15m bribery allegation | fab.ng

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently granted bail to Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, following his detention.

On Thursday night, Bobrisky was apprehended and removed from a KLM flight bound for Amsterdam at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport while attempting to travel to London.

Subsequently, Bobrisky took to social media to inform his followers about his arrest, claiming to have sustained injuries during the incident.

He posted, “Nigerians, help me, EFCC just arrested me. I’m badly injured.”

After his arrest, officials transported him to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja for questioning over alleged bribery claims involving the commission.

The allegations arose when social media critic Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, released a voice note reportedly featuring Bobrisky’s voice. In the recording, Bobrisky allegedly claimed he had bribed EFCC officials with N15 million to drop money laundering charges.

However, late on Friday, November 1, authorities processed Bobrisky’s bail, and he regained his freedom shortly after. EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed the release on Saturday but declined to provide additional information.

A source close to the case disclosed that Bobrisky denied all bribery allegations in his official statement. He also challenged the voice note’s authenticity, urging the individual who shared it to prove the claims.

According to the source, Bobrisky asserted that no EFCC official had solicited money from him and insisted he had not offered any bribe.

Through this statement, Bobrisky maintained his innocence, asserting that the bribery accusations were baseless. Meanwhile, the EFCC has yet to comment further on the case. This leaves questions about the voice note’s origins and the nature of the allegations still unresolved.