CES 2018: A clunky chat with Sophia the robot

Sophia the robot is a celebrity in its own right

It has been on chat shows, given speeches and was even made a citizen of Saudi Arabia.

Before I "met" Sophia, I was given a sheet of guidelines by the company behind it, Hanson Robotics.

Don't talk to the robot about sex, religion or politics, it said. Ask direct questions and remember it is not a fortune teller - it can't tell you whether you'll be rich or find love.

I wondered how many times it had been asked.

Sophia is an eye-catching presence, completely bald with a silver back to its head and a curious animated face that is both expressive and not quite human. The mouth smiles, the eyes blink, it turns to look to the side.

For my interview, Sophia's head - which is really the extent of the robotics - sits on a non-moving body shell, although the Hong Kong-based firm has just announced that it will be adding humanoid legs.

In the hot, bare Las Vegas hotel room into which we are ushered, Sophia looks small and a little frail. Wires trail behind a screen that has been erected behind it, and a man with a laptop sits to her right.

My "interview" with Sophia turns out to be a slightly awkward experience.

Perhaps it is due to the crowded wi-fi, or my British accent suggests one of the team.

But CES demonstrations are often clunky.