For those who might concerned about robots one day terrifying the masses and ultimately controlling the planet, you might to avert your eyes.
Today was a massive one in the world of AI and robotics, coming with the announcement that the humanoid robot Sophia, who first burst onto the scene in Europe and Asia in 2016, has been given the chance to take her very first steps. The news came from CES 2018, this year's edition of the annual trade show that goes down every January in Las Vegas, Nevada.
According to Fortune, Hanson Robotics, the Hong Kong-based company which was founded by David Hanson, has made public a partnership with Rainbow Robotics and Drones and Autonomous Systems Lab to help Sophia become a fully-fledged humanoid. She's now got a DRC-HUBO body that features some high-tech mechanical legs. Check out a video of her taking some practice steps below.
“Giving Sophia a more complete and robust embodiment is a key part of our ongoing, rapidly accelerating quest to supply her and our other Hanson robots with general intelligence at the human level and ultimately beyond,” said Dr. Ben Goertzel, Chief Scientist at Hanson Robotics. It's being considered a giant leap forward in the world of AI, which have other robots vying to be the model that will break through to the mainstream, but with her new legs, Sophia might have that title locked down in the near future.
To find out more about Sophia, including which country has already made her an official citizen, click here. Also, does this dazzle or frighten you? Let us know in the comments.