Sophia
The first robot in history to become a citizen — of Saudi Arabia, in 2017.
In one sentence
Sophia is a humanoid robot with a moving face designed to look like Audrey Hepburn — and she's been on The Tonight Show, Vogue, and the United Nations stage.
The wow factor
Three things that make Sophia genuinely impressive.
In 2017 Saudi Arabia granted her citizenship — the first robot citizen of any country.
Her face was modelled after Audrey Hepburn and Hanson's wife.
She walked the Vogue runway, addressed the UN, and trended on Twitter dozens of times.
How it works
A step-by-step breakdown, in plain English.
- 1A camera in her chest detects human faces.
- 2Silicone skin called "Frubber" lets her produce 50+ facial expressions.
- 3A neural-network-based language model generates conversational responses.
- 4Pre-scripted dialogue plus live AI mix for media appearances.
- 5She is wheeled-base or table-mounted; she does not walk.
Where you've probably seen it
Featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the cover of Cosmopolitan India, the Vogue Brasil runway, and the UN AI for Good summit.
The team behind it
Designed by Texan roboticist David Hanson at Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics. Sophia first activated in 2015 and was unveiled in 2016.
The full story
Sophia was unveiled by Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics in 2016 and quickly became the world's most famous humanoid robot. With realistic silicone facial expressions, neural-network-driven speech, and a public personality designed for media appearances, Sophia has appeared on The Tonight Show, addressed the United Nations, walked Vogue runway, and been interviewed by countless media outlets. In October 2017, Saudi Arabia granted Sophia citizenship — making her the first robot ever to receive citizenship of any country.
What do you think?
Cast your one-and-only vote. Be the first to vote.
Family tree
The predecessors and successors of Sophia.
- Han(2015)
- Sophia(2016)
- Little Sophia(2019)
- Grace(2021)
Sophia in 2 minutes
Learn the science behind Sophia
Three Atlas entries that explain how Sophia actually works.
Mind-blowing facts
Sophia was granted Saudi Arabian citizenship in 2017 — the first robot in history to be a legal citizen of any country.
Sophia's face was modelled after Audrey Hepburn and Hanson's wife.
She has been on the cover of Cosmopolitan India and walked the Vogue runway.