By Morgan Kendrick | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia stunned the world recently when it announced that Sophia, a robot made by Hanson Robotics, had been granted full citizenship. Uncertain of her real legal status, Sophia hired powerhouse lawyer Jennifer Walters. Walters didn’t waste any time bringing litigation to the Saudi Supreme Judicial Council, arguing that Sophia should have the full legal protections of a man, and not of a woman.
The justices were skeptical in their initial questioning. “Why should this robot be seen as the equal of a man,” asked Sheikh Ghaihab bin Mohammed Al-Ghaihab. David Hanson, Sophia’s creator who had been brought in to argue before the court, explained “Sophia doesn’t have the brain of a woman. Her brain was made by a man, so we know that the brain can be trusted. Why should Sophia have to ask my permission to travel somewhere when she can calculate the shortest, simplest, and safest path anywhere? Soon it is we who will be asking the robots for permission!”
Compelled by Walters’ arguments as articulated by Hanson, the Council ruled to clarify Sophia’s legal status to say that she did not have to follow Saudi female protocol, but stopped short of declaring Sophia a man. Instead, Sophia has been declared a NonBiological Citizen, or NBC. In short, NBCs receive all of the protections afforded to Saudi citizens without applying requirements that Sharia law might otherwise require.
In a related story, thousands of Saudi women have filed suit to change their legal status to NBC.
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