As cameres from local and international media flashed and under the admiring eyes of the audience, sophia proceeded with her keynote speech and interaction highlighting the importance of technology in the development of human lives.
The robot, who is championing the United Nations sustainable development goals in asia-pacific, with a focus on innovation, was in Nepal on March 21, 2018 to attend the innovation conferences and fair: "Technology of public service and development" organised by the United Nations development programme (UNDP).
Dressed in white UNDP logoed T-Shirt, the two and a half years old, red-lipped robot said that technology provides endless possibilities and opportunities for the world.
Highlighting the importance of technology in Nepal and it's applicability to government model, sophia said it can transfer state institutions and help in meeting global sustainable development goals.
"If artificial intelligence is used in Nepal, we can ensure better public services, a revolution in the agricultural sector, make better place," she said: The celebrity Robert, a "citizen" of Saudi Arabia, added that technology and artificial intelligence can help in ending poverty and fighting starvation, corruption and ensuring gender equality.
"Machine are here to make your life easier and we can connect your country to the rest of the world, " sophia said.
The audience, comprising of government officials, private sector representative, civil servants and tech enthusiasts, among others, were nodding in agreement at almost all of her statement, and cheered and applauded throughout her speech.
"I hope the conference will inspire and generate brilliant ideas to help Nepal achieve its development vision and global goals,"sophia said in the conclusion of her three- minutes long keynote speech.
The social Robert developed by Hong Kong- based company, Hanson Robotics, also answered a few questions raised by UNDP country director Renaud Meyer.
In a question about human fearing a robot takeover, sophia joked citing it as fake news, although mentioned that she could be the first non-human to climb Mount Everest, which saw the entire hall erupt with laughter.
The one-day conference also featured an "innovation fair" showcasing separate stalls with fresh innovation from youth, tech groups, NGOs and private sector participants, but sophia was certainly the main attraction.
In her opening statement, Valerie Julliand, UN resident coordinator, said technology is not just changing our lives but also providing solutions to different sorts of problems.
With technological innovation, such as e-education, telemedicine, and yhe internet, it possible to contact remote area and people with solutions which were impossible earlier, UNDP said in its statement.
According to the UNDP, it is developing and scaling-up innovative project prototypes to address gender empowerment, combat gender- based violence and disaster risk reduction, with a focus also on green energy, youth engagement and post- disaster recovery in Nepal.
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