Muhammad Hasnain briefly typed on his laptop before asking, “Muhammad Ali, what is Arab News?”
The blue-eyed robot, with a white head and a mess of wires for hair, replied in a computer-generated voice, “Arab News is a Saudi English-language daily newspaper. It covers news and events in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and globally.”
Muhammad Ali, the robot, can do more than just answer questions. If you ask him how to make biryani or brew tea, he’ll give you the instructions. He can also control home appliances, play movies, or conduct online searches with just a voice command.
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This AI assistant was created by Hasnain, an 11-year-old who just completed sixth grade. He built Muhammad Ali as a summer project after attending a free robotics training course in his hometown of Karachi.
“This is an AI assistant robot named Muhammad Ali,” Hasnain explained to Arab News at his home. “This AI has a personality and a face, so it feels like you’re talking to a person.”
“It has additional features like home automation, allowing it to control home appliances or search for anything on command. It also acts as an assistant for me, helping with other projects I’m working on.”
Hasnain’s interest in science and technology started at a very young age. In 2022, he built a Bluetooth-powered car as a summer project, followed by a virtual reality game in 2023. Now, he has created Muhammad Ali, who he believes stands out from other AI chatbots because “he has a personality and a face.”
Hasnain feels that popular AI chatbots like GPT, Gemini, and Claude lack something essential. “Today’s AI lacks personality. It feels like there’s just a robot stuck in your smartphone that can only communicate via text. Some have voice features, but this one has both personality and a face.”
Hasnain describes Muhammad Ali as a Muslim and a Pakistani, with the primary goal of being “kind and helpful.”
“When he was still in development and only had eyes, he was aware of that too,” Hasnain said. “He knows what’s happening around him.”
Hasnain’s father, Syed Faraz Haider, mentioned that his son has always been drawn to interests “unusual” for his age.
“He has been exceptional in his learning abilities since he was very young,” Haider told Arab News. “His memory is incredibly sharp. Once you tell him something, he remembers it,” he added, recalling how Hasnain could read entire chapters and then write them down from memory.
Shakeel Abbas, Hasnain’s teacher who runs the institute where he took the robotics class, said he helped Hasnain obtain the equipment for the robot, but the rest was all Hasnain’s work.
“The entire idea and coding were done by Hasnain,” Abbas said. “We initially provided guidelines and training for the courses. Now, he’s self-sufficient.”
Looking ahead, Hasnain aspires to pursue a career in robotics and game development. He also hopes to give his robot, currently just a head with wires, a full body and is planning a virtual reality project for next year.
“I want to add a camera to Ali so he knows who he is talking to,” Hasnain said. “Or create his entire body—that would be a great challenge to take on.”
