Motivational speaker Swami Gaur Gopal Das said he was surprised to meet Sophia the robot at a Singapore event when he was expecting to meet the Modern Family actor Sophia Vergara
The motivational speaker said: “Seeing the enthusiasm in the crowd, I thought in my mind it must be Sofia Vergara from Modern Family… But when I went backstage, I was told she is getting plugged in, I was surprised. After some time, I was surprised to see Sophia the first AI robot addressing the crowd”
When asked about AI replacing humans in the job market, Das recalled that Sophia said it needs a human being to create a Sophia and that she cannot function without them. Sophia is the first-ever AI robot. She was first activated in 2016 and granted Saudi citizenship in 2017
Swami claimed one of the AI models he interacted with provided factually inaccurate information. The AI model stated a living and breathing 34-year-old died in 1944
He said that while we upgrade to the latest technology, we should not discard human potential. He also said that technology has added value to people’s lives
Commenting on the ongoing layoffs in the corporate world, Das said, “If you had a financial crisis, would you lay off your husband or your wife or your parents or your children? We won’t because they are our family”
He said curiosity to know and learn and adaptability are among the most desirable qualities in a leader. Das added leaders who care are more in need than leaders who know
Das recounted the story of a mechanical engineer from World War II who brought himself a Ferrari after becoming successful. He felt there was a problem with the car and decided to tell the Ferrari boss, who did not listen to his feedback
During the course of the session, Gaur Gopal Das also joked about the sheer luxury of having a parking space in Mumbai. He said: “The ‘mere pass maa hai’ dialogue has changed in today’s time to ‘mere pass parking space hai’ in a city like Mumbai”