Robot to speak at Indiana university's lecturer series

GREENCASTLE, Ind. (AP) - A robot whose guest appearances include an interview on NBC's Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon will be a featured speaker at DePauw University's Ubben Lecture Series.

The Indianapolis Star reports that "Sophia" and creator David Hanson will take the stage on the central Indiana campus on Feb. 28. They'll deliver a talk and take questions from the audience.

Hansons said Sophia is the world's "first artificial intelligence-fueled android" and is among several one-of-a-kind robots created by Hanson Robotics.

Sophia, who became a citizen of Saudi Arabia in October, has a face that can show expression and metal hands. Sophia's clear "skull" shows the inner working wires of the artificially intelligent brain, which functions through a Wi-Fi connection pumped with information and a cohesive vocabulary.

In past interviews, Sophia has expressed a desire to be immortal, a mother and smarter than humans.

Hanson, who's received international attention and acclaim for creating the humanlike robots, said he predicts that super-intelligent and highly social robots will be a part of everyday life and work in the future.

Hanson studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and earned a Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Dallas in interactive arts and engineering. He has also worked as a sculptor and a technical consultant at Walt Disney Imagineering.

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Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com