CLAIM: Zimbabwe has introduced Sophia, its first humanoid robot at the University of Zimbabwe
SOURCE: Media Reports
VERDICT: False
The hype on ‘Zimbabwe’s first humanoid robot’ has been loud and wide.
It has been lauded as signaling Zimbabwe’s ‘very bright’ future in Artificial Intelligence. This was by one of the country’s ministers who posted that, ‘The future of Zimbabwe in Artificial Intelligence is very bright as reflected today on the occasion of the launch of Zimbabwe’s first humanoid robot at the University of Zimbabwe. I had an interesting exchange with Sophia the humanoid robot on a range of contemporary subjects. @InfoMinZW @energymutodi @TatendaMavetera @uozrobotics @UniversityOfZim @ZimbabweStudent @TateMavetera’.
This was also reported by various media houses including online publication, NewZimbabwe.com with, ‘Zimbabwe has introduced Sophia, its first humanoid robot at the University of Zimbabwe, which features a striking human likeness, impressive language abilities, and advanced navigation skills powered by artificial intelligence and computer vision’.
Not to be left out, The Herald newspaper ran an article with the headline, ‘Zimbabwe unveils first humanoid robot’. The article goes on to claim that ‘This robot with female features was developed by Hanson Robotics team in collaboration with UZ computer and AI researchers’.
Accounts on social media joined the fray claiming that ‘Today, the first humanoid robot in Southern Africa, and the second in Africa after Nigeria, was introduced at the University of Zimbabwe’ and some even giving it a local name, ‘Nehanda, Zimbabwe’s first humanoid robot having a good time at the University of Zimbabwe today ….’
But. Whose robot is it?
Sophia the robot is neither new nor Zimbabwean. She was created by Hanson Robotics – not in collaboration with the University of Zimbabwe, as some claims state – in 2016.
Hanson Robotics on its website states that, ‘As a unique combination of science, engineering, and artistry, Sophia is simultaneously a human-crafted science fiction character depicting the future of AI and robotics, and a platform for advanced robotics and AI research. The character of Sophia captures the imagination of global audiences’.
Apart from Sophia having an account on X, formerly Twitter, since 2016, with over 126,000 followers, Sophia has also previously made appearances on the Tonight Show and Good Morning Britain, in addition to speaking at conferences around the world.
How did she get to Zimbabwe?
Contrary to claims that Sophia the robot was being launched at the University of Zimbabwe, her appearance was just one of many that she does globally as the world’s first robot citizen and the first robot Innovation Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme.
The UNDP had posted about this on its handle, ‘The wait is over! 🌍 Sophia the Humanoid Robot is here 🦾 Join us live for a transformative event exploring AI’s role in achieving sustainable development in Zimbabwe.
universityofzimbabwe.zoom.us/j/85816714974?…
Don’t miss this groundbreaking moment!’.
Interestingly, the ICT Minister,Tatenda Mavetera, had posted the correct information on her X handle: ‘Thrilled to finally as the Ministry of ICTPCS, in partnership with @UNDP and the University of Zimbabwe bring Sophia the AI driven humanoid robot to Zimbabwe for the Inaugural AI and Innovation Week, whilst also celebrating her 8th anniversary’.
The key word here is ‘bring’. Sophia the robot is not Zimbabwean.
Conclusion
The claim in various reports and social media posts that ‘Zimbabwe has introduced Sophia, its first humanoid robot at the University of Zimbabwe’ is false and misleading. Sophia the robot is not Zimbabwe’s first humanoid robot or Zimbabwe’s anything. She was created by Hanson Robotics in 2016. Her visit to Zimbabwe was part of her role as the UNDP Innovation Ambassador.
