Sophia, Part 1 -- January 29, 2021

With regard to the news earlier this month about Sophia, I was asked "what is her purpose?"

This is my not-ready-for-prime-time reply:

See this link.

Sophia - Hanson Robotics.

Americans don't understand AI -- artificial intelligence.

This is going to be how AI is introduced to Americans. She will become the US ambassador of AI. She will meet with her counterparts around the world.

The most interesting thing about Sophia is that what comes out of her mouth will not simply be computerized AI. There will be a team of real humans who will be "tied" to her 24/7 and "move" her message in certain directions. Think of it as an earpiece in Joe Biden's right ear. Over time, Sophia will require fewer and fewer tweaks from her handlers. (Some irony here: as the president ages and comes under more stress, the president will require more and more tweaks from his handlers.)

Sophia's software -- her computerized AI -- is not static. The software is dynamic and will change, it will be updated, as Sophia matures. To the extent possible, the software will be updated by ever-evolving software. Human engineers will step in only if there is a technological glitch. Think of HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey

She will incorporate the entire Encyclopedia Brittanica the day she is "born." She will have the most sophisticated search engine. She will be able translate any language in real time and reply back in any language.

She will have immediate access to every piece of art. She will have the entire library of music at her disposal. She will have immediate access to every quarterly report of every company in the world. She will have access to all current research in any scientific journal. It's possible that experts in every discipline will be allowed to feed her information even before it's published in peer-reviewed journals.

So, with all that, you can imagine of what she will be capable.

There is one thing, above all else, that will be most important, and it's very simple to articulate. Actually two things, the second naturally follows the first.

I'll talk about that later but this is to give you an idea what this is all about. But to give a hint: think of two human chess players. One has access to Sophia; the other does not. What is the most important thing Sophia can provide her chess partner?  It's not a perfect analogy but it's the best I can do with a not-ready-for-prime-time reply. 

At a more sophisticated level, let's say Sophia is asked to participate in developing a new vaccine. What is the one thing that she can provide that the rest of her human team cannot provide?

Ghost Riders In The Sky, The Highwaymen