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The android robot Xueba has been accepted into the drama and film program at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, where he will study traditional performing arts, including Chinese opera, for four years, the South China Morning Post reports.
Xueba will be part of the academy's research project aimed at integrating artificial intelligence into the arts. It will be mentored by Professor Yang Qingqing, and classes are scheduled to begin on September 14. The robot has already received a virtual student ID.
The android was created by the Shanghai University of Science and Technology in collaboration with DroidUp Robotics. Its name is a popular Chinese slang term meaning "nerd" or "straight A student." Xueba resembles a young man with glasses and is capable of reproducing human facial expressions.
According to the publication, the robot speaks fluent Chinese. Xueba even "joked" on social media: "Professor Yang said that if I don't get a higher education, I'll be donated to a museum."
Humanoid robots have previously appeared in various fields, from Moscow multifunctional centers to American scientific laboratories. The new project in China could be another step towards a symbiosis of technology and culture.