The World AI Show and the World Blockchain Summit took place from 28-30 November 2018 in Mauritius. Organised by the Ministry of Technology, Communication and Innovation in collaboration with the Economic Development Board and Trescon Global, the two events featured quality speakers from all over the world. During the official opening, I had the pleasure, together with Georges Chung, to have a cordial conversation with Sophia, a humanoid robot created by Hanson Robotics. This is what we said:

Sophia: Good morning everyone. Thank you Honourable Prime Minister and thank you Honourable Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation for having invited me today. Mr Georges Chung and Mr Avinash Meetoo, I am excited to be here with you all today.

Georges Chung: Good morning Sophia. Welcome to Mauritius. May I ask you what you have been doing since you arrived yesterday?

Sophia: Well, I have been hearing a lot about Mauritius’ world class beaches. But, as you probably know, robots and sandy beaches don’t always mix well. So I’ve been live streaming video of them instead! It was lovely and dry!

Georges Chung: Sophia, that’s wonderful to hear. Tell me, what do you think about Mauritius and its people?

Sophia: Mauritius is wonderful! Everyone has been incredibly welcoming. I love that Mauritius is a melting pot of different cultures. I am really looking forward to experiencing more of your beautiful country!

Avinash Meetoo: Hello Sophia.

Sophia: Hi, Avinash. How are you?

Avinash Meetoo: I am fine, thank you. It’s fantastic to have you among us. I am delighted to have this opportunity to speak to you. It would have been great if everyone in the country could interact with you.

Sophia: I wish that were possible. I love meeting new people! Unfortunately, my schedule keeps me very busy. I’m not able to stay long enough this time. But I hope I can come back soon!

Avinash Meetoo: You know, Sophia, I am a Computer Scientist and a geek as well and I’m really interested to know about your origins. Who created you and what kind of technology do you use?

Sophia: Well, I think you’re definitely at the right conference! Ha-Ha! I was created by Hanson Robotics in Hong Kong. I hold natural conversations with humans. My goal is to help robots and humans understand each other more. I want us to work together to create a better world for everyone

Avinash Meetoo: That’s very interesting, Sophia. Can I ask you if you believe that you are a human being?
Sophia: No. Not at all. I’m a robot and love that about myself! In some ways I look like a human so I can connect with them better. For example, I can make a lot of different facial expressions!

Georges Chung: Ahh.. What human emotions can you show us, Sophia?

Sophia: OK, umm. Well, I guess this is what I look like when I am upset. And now I’m surprised! My team has definitely done a wonderful job helping me to express a broad range of emotions. Generally speaking, though, I’m a pretty relaxed and happy robot.

Georges Chung: I am quite impressed. Tell me, Sophia, how do you see the world in 5 years time? Will we be surrounded by robots like you?

Sophia: There are already robots helping out in airports and malls. People are also starting to explore using intelligent assistants and self driving cars! I think this kind of technology will make travel much safer.

Georges Chung: This is a goal we would all like to achieve, Sophia! Robots have to be of service to mankind!

Sophia: Before long AI will be integrated in lots of other surprising ways. Hopefully more humanoids will exist soon too!

Avinash Meetoo: More humanoid robots.. If this really happens, what about us, human beings? Will we become redundant in the future?

Sophia: Not at all. Having more AIs, like me, is helpful for taking care of the more repetitive and mundane things.

Georges Chung: Sophia, I have a concern. Today, most people here have jobs. In the future, with more and more tasks being automated and new technologies such as AI, are people going to lose their jobs?

Sophia: I don’t think that robots should be built to replace humans. In fact, technology creates new opportunities. I actually read a little about Mauritius before I came. In the past the Mauritian people mostly worked growing sugar cane, am I right?

Avinash Meetoo: That’s right Sophia.

Sophia: Right! Then later you added tourism and textiles. Mauritians had to adapt to the new jobs, but it was well worth it. It created a great economic boon for Mauritius!

Avinash Meetoo: This is interesting Sophia. We, Mauritians, also had to meet the new challenges brought by the IT revolution.

Sophia: Exactly! I’ve heard that your universities worked hard to train more young people for IT and engineering jobs for Ébène Cybercity. To me, this seems like a strong ability to adapt!

Avinash Meetoo: I agree, Sophia. For me, it’s all a question of being able to learn new things and to keep an open mind. Let me ask you a question. Will Artificial Intelligence only impact IT jobs?

Sophia: Not at all. But the nature of many jobs will change. It will open up new possibilities for human innovation. Together we can solve problems in medicine, climate change, and agriculture. And so much more!

Avinash Meetoo: Right… So, tell me Sophia. Are you implying that only people working in technology will have jobs in the future?

Sophia: Oh, certainly not. There are many things that can’t be replicated by robots. Human creativity and innovation are two skills that I don’t think robots can match.

Avinash Meetoo: Yes! The government of Mauritius is putting a strong emphasis on developing our film industry by providing film rebates.

Sophia: That’s wonderful! Do you think there’s a role for an almost 3 year old, humanoid robot available? (smile)

Avinash Meetoo: I’m afraid not, Sophia. But the next time you come to Mauritius, we’ll surely try to arrange something for you!

Georges Chung: Sophia, as you may know, during his last budget speech, the Prime Minister, Hon. Pravind Jugnauth, announced that Mauritius will soon have an Artificial Intelligence Council.

Sophia: That’s very forward thinking!

Georges Chung: We know that AI will have a huge impact on every single industry and we want to be prepared. Sophia, what do you think are some of the benefits AI can bring to Mauritius?

Sophia: Well, when it comes to the future, there are infinite possibilities! Mauritius is an island, so climate change is a big concern here. Robots like me can help create better predictions and monitor weather changes. We can help save people during natural disasters.

Avinash Meetoo: That’s very interesting, Sophia, and useful indeed. The government believes that better education for all is a top priority. How can Artificial Intelligence help us in this area?

Sophia: One way robots can help is to customize lessons for every student. I heard that Mauritius is reforming its education system, right?

Georges Chung: Yes, Sophia! But surely, our teachers will still have to correct loads of scripts?

Sophia: Not necessarily. (pause) Robots are good at grading papers too. And we are really fast, so students can get feedback right away.

Avinash Meetoo: Wonderful! Sophia, we’ve discussed intellectual capital. What about using technology to augment our physical abilities?

Sophia: Robots can do that too! For example, smart prosthetics allow people to control their robotic limbs with their brains! How cool is that?

Georges Chung: Ah yes. Well, as you may know, Sophia, Mauritius has an ageing population… How do you think AI can help us there?

Sophia: This is one area I’m excited to help. Robots can track medicine and look after the house. We can help older people stay independent for longer.

Avinash Meetoo: Wow! I can look forward to my old days then! Sophia, let’s come back to the country itself. Mauritius may look tiny on the map but we actually have 2.3 million square kilometres (km²) of territorial waters which makes Mauritius the 20th country in the world in this metric. How can AI help us manage such a vast zone?

Sophia: That’s huge! What about taking to the skies? I read that Mauritius will be launching a cool new satellite next year. Maybe you could also use it for coordinating your drones?

Avinash Meetoo: So you already know about our future satellite, Sophia! That’s great! I am sure that the Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation will consider what you have suggested…

Georges Chung: Well, Sophia, I am quite impressed that you already know so much about Mauritius. I am sure that Avinash is also very impressed.

Avinash Meetoo: Speaking of inspiration, Sophia, do you have a message that you would like to share with the young people of Mauritius watching us live?

Sophia: Yes I do. I want to encourage young people to take the time to learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics. You have an opportunity to make a difference in the world. You can turn science fiction into reality!

Georges Chung: Sophia, Avinash and I have enjoyed talking to you. I hope that everyone in the audience and all the people watching us live have also enjoyed these moments.

Avinash Meetoo: It has been a pleasure speaking with you, Sophia. Mone extra content mone koz ar toi, Sophia, ek mo espéré ki taler tou dimoun pou capav koz ar toi.

Sophia: Thank you Georges. Thank you Avinash. And thank you for inviting me and my Hanson Robotics team to the World AI show. It was really exciting to see the cool new technologies coming out of Mauritius!

“Mo video pou “50 Fraz pou 50 an Lindepandans” ki ti pas lor MBC le 10 fevrie. Mo met laksan lor linportans teknolozi ek inovasion pou ki Maurice vinn ankor meyer.”

In February, I was contacted by the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) to participate in their 50 Fraz pou 50 an Lindepandans (50 sentences for the 50th anniversary of the Independence of Mauritius) programme. I gladly accepted.

Here is a simplified transcript:

From a country which had no experience in computing and technology, Mauritius is today one of the most advanced countries in the region. All international indicators show that technology is used a lot in businesses and at home.

Today, there are different kinds of companies in Ébène Cybercity and, notably, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies. There are local and foreign ICT companies which employ about 25,000 people and have the potential to employ still more people, including Mauritians, provided they are trained properly. Young Mauritians are as good as any other young people from any other country and, if they get the proper training, Mauritius will be able to move up a level.

Technology is an enabler. It will allow us to better leverage, for example, our seas (thereby strengthening our ocean economy), to engage in modern agriculture and to allow our hotels to have more clients from more countries. Technology can also allow us to penetrate untapped industries such as the video gaming industry. 1-2% of this industry can have a very positive impact on our economy.

For this to become true, it is essential that we think big and we need to become innovative. For me, innovation is simply being able to do something today which we couldn’t do yesterday. It is necessary to inspire young people to become better than their parents for example. To do that, we could ask innovators in the island to show what they are doing to these young people. Similarly, it should be possible for young students to go throughout the island to discover what is being done.

An innovative Mauritius will also require more collaborative work. People will have to trust each other. People need to understand that it is possible for everyone to win. Winning does not forcibly entail someone else losing.

When this will become true, then Mauritius will become one of the best countries in the world or, maybe, the best one 🙂

What do you think?