Sophia robot named among 5 knowledge ambassadors in UAE

As part of Knowledge Summit 2017, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation named five knowledge ambassadors for the first time on Wednesday. 

Among them was Sophia, a humanoid robot by Hansom Robotics, who recently received the Saudi Arabian citizenship.

"Let's start the future today," she told the audience. The foundation named Jason Silva, TV personality and futurist; Muna AbuSulayman, Arab and Muslim media personality; Major Dr Rashid Hamdan Al Ghafri, DNA and Biology Expert in the Department of Forensic Sciences and Criminology at the Dubai Police; and Tanmay Bakshi, 13-year-old Artificial Intelligence developer.

Through the new initiative, MBRF will select knowledge ambassadors every year to create a global group of activists working to enrich knowledge in Arab societies. sherouk@khaleejtimes.com

Sherouk Zakaria

"Born and raised in UAE, Sherouk Zakaria is a Senior Correspondent at Khaleej Times. Joined since May 2016, she covers Dubai Municipality, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), special events and humanitarian issues. Her choice of journalism as a career stems from her passion of telling people's stories and writing to inspire or make a difference. In her free time, she's an occasional theater and film actress. Sherouk received her BA in Mass Communications from the American University in Sharjah in 2013. Before joining Khaleej Times, she was a senior lifestyle/entertainment editor for a magazine in Dubai."