Sophia, a human-like robot powered by artificial intelligence, delivered an entire keynote address at a United Nations conference on technology in Kathmandu recently.

The two and a half-year old humanoid robot, known for her realistic gestures and human-like responses, was on her first visit to Nepal, where she was the centre of attraction at the one-day conference.

Last year Sophia was made the United Nations Development Programme's first-ever innovation champion, having already been granted citizenship in Saudi Arabia and gained fame with appearances on numerous shows.

Created by David Hanson, a Hong Kong-based American robotics scientist, the robot partly modelled after British actress Audrey Hepburn told Nepalese crowds that they could harness technology to improve public services.

“Nepal is rich in cultural and linguistic diversity and biodiversity. What is less well known to the world is Nepal is also a growing technology hub,” she told an audience of dozens of people including government officials, tech enthusiasts, innovators, development professionals and journalists.

“Technology and artificial intelligence can help end poverty, hunger, help in fighting corruption and ensure gender equality,” she said in the conference, which focused on technology’s role in helping improve public service delivery. — dpa