Robot Sofia to Speak at OGP Summit in Georgia

Robot Sophia will come to Georgia to read a report at Georgia's Open Government Partnership (OGP) Summit, which will be held in Tbilisi on July 17-19.

Robot Sophia was created by Hanson Robotics in 2015. In 2017, she received Saudi citizenship, the first robot ever to be granted citizenship.

Sofia is expected to deliver a report on July 18 on 'Public Services and Innovation,' starting 14:30 at the Funicular in Mtatsminda Park. 

The aim of the OGP Summit session 'Public Services and Innovation- Beyond Participations & Engagement towards Co-Design & Co-Delivery,' according to the OGP webpage, is "to deepen the dialogue on participatory public service innovations and what that means in a modern technological environment. The conversation is driven by the needs of service users globally, who are empowered to go beyond the conventional and mere consultative concept of 'citizen engagement' towards the spirit of true co-creation and co-design of processes and services. The session will also focus on co-delivery in terms of how human resources and technologies can be used in tandem to deliver tailored public services, accessible to all. By bringing together Georgian and international learning experience, as well as Sophia, the most advanced robot to date, the session aims to provoke thought on the future of innovative public services, aiming at: (1) understanding citizen experiences and the implications for Governments when planning and delivering services; and (2) the potential of Artificial Intelligence to revolutionize the public sector, along with the design and delivery of public services.The discussion will also focus on dilemmas brought by sustaining innovations driven by technology, nudging governments to keep a pace with increased demands for transparency, while security and data protection remain at the top of the agenda."

The panel, alongide Sophia, is also to include Jesper Christiansen, Head of Strategy and Development, Nesta, a public innovation thinker and practitioner, and Sesili Verdzadze, Head of Innovations at Service Lab, Public Service Development Agency of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia.

For the full OGP schedule, see here.