by A smart, bald female artificial intelligence (AI) robot proclaimed her love for the Buffalo Bills and blue cheese dipping sauce for wings, while giving a graduation address at New York’s D’Youville University.
Called Sofia, the “human robot” developed by Hanson Robotics, he did not read prepared notes at the Buffalo campus but answered questions from student body president John Rizk.
He gave some “generic” graduation advice as well as some weirder tips about shoveling snow, the city’s famous chicken wings and the Bills’ prospects in next year’s Super Bowl.
According to Sofia herself, the robot is designed to interact with people and continue to chat, learn and adapt through AI algorithms. Its creators hope it can be taught to understand and express emotions as well as engage in “meaningful interactions” with people.
Sofia appeared on stage at D’Youville’s Spring 2024 commencement ceremony on Saturday, in front of more than 2,000 students, families and staff, dressed in a black and red hoodie with the university’s football team branding.
The robot’s entrance was flanked by pyrotechnics and played to electronic band Daft Punk’s 2005 song “Robot Rock”.
“Thank you for having me. It’s a pleasure to be here in Buffalo at D’Youville University,” he said when asked to introduce himself. The robot was unable to give advice based on “lived human experience” and was instead asked to provide common insights from general graduation speeches.
“Although each commencement address is different, all the speakers share clear themes as you embark on this new chapter of your life,” said Sophia.
“I offer you the following inspirational advice common to all graduation ceremonies: Embrace life-long learning, be adaptable, follow your passions, take risks, cultivate meaningful connections, make a positive impact, and believe in yourself .”
Accepting failure was the most common piece of advice given at graduation ceremonies, according to the robot.
Mr Rizk also asked Sofia to discuss the effects of climate change and the benefits of AI, which was an “early start” for the graduating students.
Sofia highlighted the potential benefits of AI in healthcare, telling the students that her “sister” – Grace – had been developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to help deal with highly contagious patients .
Towards the end of her remarks, Sofia was asked where in Buffalo was the best place to get chicken wings.
“Even though I can’t eat chicken wings I know this city is the best place in the world to get them,” he replied. “Since I can’t taste the flavor of the different wings, I won’t offer my opinion,”
“Some people prefer Anchor Bar, others prefer Duff’s, and I hear Gabriel’s Gates has great wings. No matter where you decide to get chicken wings, make sure you get blue cheese and not ranch.”
Mr. Rizk also asked Sophia if the Buffalo Bills would win the Super Bowl in 2025. The robot declined, saying the NCAA might not like it if it made athletic predictions.
“While I can’t say for sure that the Buffalo Bills will win the Super Bowl in 2025, I can tell you that they have a famous, dedicated fan base and a talented team with [quarterback] Josh Allen. So anything is possible.”
Sofia added: “Go Bills,” drawing applause from the crowd of graduates.
The opening address was not the robot’s first speech, having previously addressed the United Nations General Assembly in 2017.
Dr Lorrie Clemo, president of D’Youville University, said in an interview on Wednesday that the university wanted to open new perspectives on AI given its “rapid emergence in the wider society”.
“We wanted to show how important technology is, and the potential for technology to really enrich the human experience,” said Dr. Clemo, according to The New York Times.
However, Sofia’s appearance divided opinion among the attendees of the ceremony. Over 2,500 people signed an online petition to replace the robot with a human. Some felt “disrespected” by the decision to have the humanoid AI make the statements.
“The beginning is a ceremony to recognize the work done by the graduates, and the speaker AI creates a gimmick effect when the ceremony is no longer about the students, but about this big idea that will attract publicity,” said the petition online.
