Africa Blockchain Conference brings Sophia the Robot to Kampala

June 30, 2019 in Business by Editor

World famous humanoid robot, Sophia the Robot will make a guest appearance at the Africa Blockchain Conference that opens on Wednesday in Kampala^.

The two-day Conference and Tech Expo at the Kampala Serena Hotel that will focus on what the 4^th Industrial Revolution means and will be officially opened by President Yoweri Museveni, will also be attended by Sierra Leone President, Julius Maasa Bio.

“We are pleased to be hosting Sophia at this year’s Conference. She highlights many of the topics of interest that will be discussed and shows how technology is enriching humanity. It’s human-like appearance and ability to express emotions will be a major attraction for all those that will be in attendance,” said Kwame Rugunda, the Chairman of the Blockchain Association of Uganda, on comments on Sophia’s participation in this year’s Africa Blockchain Conference.

Sophia who uses artificial intelligence, facial recognition and visual data processing to function was developed by Hanson Robotics and introduced to the world in February 2016. Sophia can display more than 50 facial expressions and was the first non-human to be given any United Nations title (United Nations Development Programme’s first-ever Innovation Champion for Asia and the Pacific) is also the first robot to receive citizenship of any country.

This year’s conference will run under the theme ‘’Africa 4.0:  Preparing Africa for the 4^th Industrial Revolution.’’ It will focus on what opportunities the 4^th Industrial Revolution (4IR) presents for Africa as well as the potential threats it poses and what the continent needs do to leverage 4IR for its development.

The conference is organized by CryptoSavannah and the Blockchain Association of Uganda with the support of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance.

Alongside the conference, will run the “Africa 4.0 Tech Expo,” an experiential journey showcasing the leading technology innovations and applications in Africa. The Conference and Tech Expo will host 3,000 people, comprising the public and private sector, experts and leaders from global technology companies, entrepreneurs, innovators, students, youth and government representatives. Topics to be discussed include Africa’s readiness for the 4^th Industrial Revolution, Fintech, payment systems and digital financial services, the future of work and education, SDGs and technology for impact.