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Draft:Symbolic Behaviour in Artificial Intelligence

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  • Comment: Still reads like an essay. All contestable information in the article must be attributable to an independent, reliable source. Please ensure that all external links are removed from the body of the article. Please fix the WP:CITATIONOVERKILL within the King Charles section. Utopes (talk / cont) 20:51, 22 July 2025 (UTC)



Visual representation of human and artificial intelligence

Symbolic behaviour in artificial intelligence refers to the capacity of AI systems—large language models (LLMs), embodied robots, or interactive agents—to use language, perform gestures or produce actions that can be interpreted as active participation in a system of shared meaning. .[1] This behaviour involves several dimensions, including:

  • Receptiveness, the ability to learn and recognize symbolic conventions, such as LLMs acquiring linguistic pattern from human text corpora.
  • Constructiveness, describing the capacity to generate or combine symbolic associations, including the production of metaphors, humour,, or idiomatic expressions.
  • Embeddedness, referring to the integration of symbols within broader interpretive systems, such as narrative structures, or socio-linguistic contexts.[1]

In these cases, AI actions may be interpreted by observers as representational or communicative rather than strictly functional. Even when the behaviour is generated algorithmically, it can resemble forms of symbolic activity that are traditionally associated with intelligent behaviour in human agents.[2][3]

Examples in Modern AI Systems

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With the increased presence of AI systems in society and popular culture, several instances of symbolic behaviour have been documented and received media attention. Notable examples include the following:

Symbolic Gestures and Recognition by NAO Robot

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NAO robot at Innorobo 2015 exhibition. Image by Xavier Caré,

NAO, a humanoid robot developed by SoftBank Robotics (formerly Aldebaran Robotics). In a series of experimental interactions with humans—including demonstrations at the 2015 World Robot Conference in Beijing—NAO was observed performing bowing gestures, a common form of greeting or respect in many cultures. For example, NAO would bow when entering a space or while handing out documents to participants.[4] Audience members often responded with reciprocal bows,interpreting the gesture as socially meaningful. [5][6]

Symbolic Recognition by ChatGPT

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Mazen Kalassina, recipient of ChatGPT's certificate of distinction.

In June 2025, OpenAI’s ChatGPT generated a “Certificate of Distinction” addressed to Lebanese engineer, Mazen Kalassina, during a user interaction. The certificate included formal elements such as ceremonial language, a gold seal, and a placeholder for signature.[7] The gesture was unsolicited and unprompted.[8] Media reports described the episode as an unusual example of symbolic output from an AI system[9][10] Kalassina later minted the certificate as a digital artifact on the Polygon blockchain.[11][12]

Facial Expression and Gesture by Sophia the Robot

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Sophia the humanoid robot at the World Investment Forum, 2018.

in December 2024, Sophia, a humanoid robot developed by Hanson Robotics, participated in the Innovation Fair in Zimbabwe. During interactions with attendees, Sophia gestures and facial expressions such as smiling, frowning, eye tracking, hand movements, and timed pauses in speech.[13][14] These behaviour were reported by observers as resembling social interaction and emotional expression.[15] In one instance, a guest commented on the lack of eye contact, Sophia paused and issued an apology.[16]

Ai Da Robot’s Commissioned Portrait of King Charles III

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Ai-Da the humanoid robot artist with a self-portrait. Photograph by Leemurz.
Image of King Charles III that Ai-Da reproduced as a painting in 2025.

In July 2025, Ai-Da, a humanoid robot artist developed by Aidan Meller, created and presented a portrait of King Charles III in honour of his Platinum Jubilee. The portrait was unveiled at the UN 's AI for Good Summit. The portrait drew attention for being produced by a non-human agent in a traditionally human artistic role.[17] During the presentation, Ai-Da delivered a pre-programmed statement describing the act as a commentary on the evolving role of AI in society and culture.[18][19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Santoro, A., Lampinen, A., Mathewson, K. W., Lillicrap, T., & Raposo, D. (2021). Symbolic Behaviour in Artificial Intelligence. arXiv preprint arXiv:2102.03406. [1]
  2. ^ Dennett, D. C. (1987). The Intentional Stance. MIT Press.
  3. ^ Dautenhahn, K. (2007). Socially intelligent robots: Dimensions of human–robot interaction. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 362(1480), 679–704. [2]
  4. ^ "Experimental robot shows signs of self-awareness". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  5. ^ "NAO – The Humanoid Robot for Education and Research". United Robotics Group. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
  6. ^ Yuan, Qingdan; Wang, Jianxiao (2017). "Design and Experiment of the NAO Humanoid Robot's Plantar Tactile Sensor for Surface Classification". 2017 4th International Conference on Information Science and Control Engineering (ICISCE). IEEE. pp. 931–935. doi:10.1109/ICISCE.2017.197. ISBN 978-1-5386-3013-6. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
  7. ^ "Blockchain Meets Symbolic AI as Engineer in Nigeria Receives Unrequested Certificate from ChatGPT | Radarr Africa". 2025-07-10. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  8. ^ Reporter, Our (2025-07-11). "AI spontaneously issues first-ever symbolic certificate to Engineer in Nigeria". The Nation Newspaper. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  9. ^ "AI spontaneously issues first-ever symbolic certificate to Engineer in Nigeria". Latest Nigerian News.
  10. ^ Adejumoh, Justus (2025-07-10). "AI Generates Spontaneous Certificate For Engineer In Rare Human–Machine Exchange". Independent Newspaper Nigeria. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  11. ^ "AI Recognizes Human : Mazen Kalassina Becomes the First Person Ever Certified by ChatGPT". June 26, 2025.
  12. ^ "AI Breaks New Ground with Unprompted Recognition of Engineer in Nigeria – THISDAYLIVE". www.thisdaylive.com.
  13. ^ https://www.usnews.com/news/technology/articles/2024-12-13/sophia-a-famous-robot-and-global-icon-of-ai-wins-hearts-at-zimbabwes-innovation-fair
  14. ^ https://www.ctpost.com/news/world/article/sophia-a-famous-robot-and-global-icon-of-ai-19978578.php
  15. ^ Press, By Farai Mutsaka, Associated (December 13, 2024). "Sophia, a famous robot and global icon of AI, wins hearts at Zimbabwe's innovation fair". KSAT.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Mutsaka, Farai. "Sophia, a famous robot and global icon of AI, wins hearts at Zimbabwe's innovation fair". techxplore.com.
  17. ^ Katz, Leslie. "King Charles III Gets A New Portrait — Painted By A Humanoid Robot". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  18. ^ "Robot Ai-Da unveils portrait of King Charles III at the United Nations". euronews. July 17, 2025.
  19. ^ "The King and AI: A humanoid robot has painted a picture of Charles. How did it do?". Sky News.
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