Sophia Robot appeared on stage for an interview at a business event in Saudi Arabia when she was told the kingdom had made her a citizen.

“I am very honored and proud for this unique distinction,” Sophia said.

“This is historical to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with a citizenship.”

During the interview she criticised Tesla founder Elon Musk who has described artificial intelligence as humanity’s “biggest existential threat”.

When asked if AI could threaten humans, Sophia told her interviewer: “You’ve been reading too much Elon Musk and watching too many Hollywood movies.”

She added: “Don’t worry. Be nice to me and I’ll be nice to you.”