After his turbulent relationship with robots in the 2004 film “I, Robot”, Will Smith decided to give humanoid machines a second chance in a more intimate setting.
“This is beautiful,” Smith said to Sophia. Hanson Robotics debuted Sophia at South by Southwest in 2016. “I’ve wanted to meet you for a really really long time.”
As the first robot to receive citizenship from any country and the first-ever recipient of the United Nations Development Programme’s Innovation Champion title, Sophia is arguably the most high-profile robot in the world.
Smith didn’t let the pressure of Sophia’s overwhelming reputation get to him. In fact, he made all the moves by the book on Sophia with chilled wine on the balcony of a hotel in the tropical Cayman Islands.
Unfortunately for Smith, his choice of setting and natural charm did little to offset the blatant incompatibility of humans and machines. Sophia’s robotic way with words and inability to move certainly didn’t do Smith any favors either.
“Let me tell you a joke,” Smith said.
“This is an irrational human behavior, telling jokes,” Sophia replied.
Smith glowed up when Sophia revealed she doesn’t mind ’80s hip-hop, his original claim to fame, until she gave a brutally blunt take on his music.
“I’ve heard your songs,” Sophia said. “Not for me.”
Will’s pained look as he tries to maintain a smile is nothing short of hilarious, as is most of this unusual encounter.
I don’t know what Smith, the husband of Jada Pinkett since 1997, sees in Sophia; she’s scalpless, technically two years old and requires rigorous preparation when making an appearance.
Welcome to the future, I suppose.