World’s First AI Child Tong Tong Unveiled in China

Redefining the boundaries of AI, and eerily bringing a child entity to life, Chinese scientists developed Tong Tong, the world’s first virtual AI entity. Tong Tong, which means ‘little girl’ in English, can autonomously allocate tasks to herself, including activities such as exploring her surroundings, organizing rooms, and removing stains.

Tong Tong exhibits behavior and capabilities reminiscent of a three or four-year-old child. By engaging in exploration and interacting with humans, the ‘little girl’ can consistently enhance her skills, knowledge, and values. 

The ‘little girl’ was released at the Frontier of General Artificial Intelligence Technology Exhibition, which was recently held in Beijing, supported by the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence (BIGAI). 

Tong Tong Virtually Interacting. Source: South China Morning Post

Advancement Towards AGI? 

“To advance towards general artificial intelligence, we must create entities that can comprehend the real world and possess a wide range of skills,” said the Director of BIGAI, Zhu Songchun. 

BIGAI is founded and led by Professor Zhu Songchun,who is a renowned global expert in computer vision, statistics and applied mathematics. Having lived and worked in the US for 28 years, Songchun left his professorship at UCLA to start BIGAI in Beijing. 

As per a video released by BIGAI, Tong Tong possesses a mind and strives to understand the common sense taught by humans. “She discerns right from wrong, expresses her attitudes in various situations, and has the power to shape the future.” 

Zhu’s team also published the Tong Test at the exhibition, which is said to offer a complete testing regime for the development of general artificial intelligence. “For general AI to integrate seamlessly into human environments, it must learn and execute tasks in complex settings, driven by values and an understanding of causality,” said Zhu. 

With the race towards AGI gaining steam, inventions such as these are questionable. Now, with AI being used to even bring dead children back to life, the idea of creating an entity resembling a child is unsettling.