Bakersfield College hosted its first Gadfly Cafe for the Spring Semester at the Levan Center on Feb. 8.

A Gadfly, is a round table discussion between students, to discuss a specific point and perhaps debate it. It allows students to expand their thinking and go more into a philosophical idea.

For this specific discussion, students would talk about Artificial Intelligence, and how far it would go. Specifically, diving into the robot named Sophia. The discussion began watching a video on this Robot, called “Sophia Awakens Episode 1”. After the video, this would open the floor for students to present their thoughts.

Joseph Melgor, would be the first to speak, stating, “It sounded like she was in pain.” Referring to how Sophia looked in the video. Reggie Williams would ask follow up questions in order to keep the conversation going.

As the Gadfly would continue, students would present questions and points of how exactly far we can go with Artificial Intelligence would go, and what should Sophia the robot be considered. Ben Poirere would say that it seemed as though humans are naturally alienated, which is why it seems like Sophia is discomforted.

Points like these would allow students to expand their thinking, perhaps even change their minds on the idea of Artificial Intelligence, exactly the point of having a Gadfly.