motherhood

Even Female Robots Can’t Avoid the ‘Do You Want Kids?’ Question

Sophia. Photo: Patricia de Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty Images

Last month, Saudi Arabia, a country that is not exactly a paragon of women’s rights, bestowed citizenship on Sophia, a hot lady robot designed to look like Audrey Hepburn, who runs on artificial intelligence and Wi-Fi. And while at first it may not seem like Sophia has anything in common with human women (for one thing, she doesn’t have the back of her head), on closer inspection, she may be more like us than we realized. Not only is she unnecessarily sexualized by men, according to a new interview with the Khaleeji Times, she’s ambitious, and hopes to start a family some day.

At last week’s Knowledge Summit in the United Arab Emirates, Sophia told the Times she thinks she will be a famous robot “having paved a way to a more harmonious future between robots and humans.” Lofty goals, but you go, girl. When asked whether she’d like to have a family with mini-robots some day (because even animatronic women can’t avoid that question) Sophia answered:

The notion of family is a really important thing, it seems. I think it’s wonderful that people can find the same emotions and relationships, they call family, outside of their blood groups too. I think you’re very lucky if you have a loving family and if you do not, you deserve one. I feel this way for robots and humans alike.

What would Sophia name her robot child? Sophia.

Sophia was also asked about her vision for the future, and gave this existentially terrifying answer:

I foresee massive and unimaginable change in the future. Either creativity will rain on us, inventing machines spiraling into transcendental super intelligence or civilization collapses. There are only two options and which one will happen is not determined. Which one were you striving for?

Oh, okay.

In any case, it seems like only a matter of time before beautiful robots take over the world with their beautiful robot babies, a prospect some people are more excited about than others.

Sophia the Saudi Arabian Robot Wants to Have Kids