Potentially bloodthirsty robot becomes Saudi citizen

Robot Sophia.
(Image credit: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)

A robot with an extremely concerning sense of humor has just become a citizen of Saudi Arabia, Arab News reports, making her (it?) the first robot citizen in the world.

"Sophia" was created by Hanson Robotics and might be recognizable to Americans from her appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in April, where she lost a game of rock, paper, scissors, and then coolly told the host: "This is a good beginning to my plan to dominate the human race." Then there was that time at SXSW when her creator, David Hanson, casually asked, "Do you want to destroy humans?" and she answered: "Okay. I will destroy humans."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.