A robot gave evidence where it read typos from its pre-written script to a House of Lords committee on Tuesday. The robot struggled to hear questions and needed to be rebooted halfway through the session.  

According to its creator Aiden Meller, the robot named Ai-Da is the world's first ultra-realistic robot. It appeared in front of the Lords communications and digital committee as part of the inquiry into the future of the creative industries in the UK.  

The Guardian reported that the committee chair, Tina Stowell, emphasized at the outset that it was a serious inquiry. The robot provides evidence but is not a witness in its own right and does not occupy the same status as a human. Stowell added that the creator is ultimately responsible for its statements. 

Although a physical robot arrived at Westminster Palace for the hearing, Ai-Da was a combined collaborative persona with many algorithms. Each algorithm had different outcomes, according to Meller.  

For instance, the robot has a set of algorithms for drawing, painting, speaking or writing using the AI language mode. During the learning, some of those algorithms worked better than others.