A Beijing court is using an AI-powered robot to provide litigation services to the public.

The Sanbot King Kong robot, called Xiaofa, was created by QIHAN. It harnesses IBM Watson technology and was designed to work in different business environments.

In its role at the Beijing First Intermediate People's Court, Xiaofa can memorise and explain "over 7,000 Chinese laws and regulations, allowing it to assist visitors who would like to learn more about the litigation process, its rules and details of prior cases," explained Zhao Lan, litigation management official at Beijing First Intermediate People's Court.

“Integrating robots is a cost-effective, efficient way to provide important information to the public sector,” added Ryan Wu, vice president of QIHAN. “From the home to the factory and now to the courthouse, robotics-as-a-service is an instrumental industry solution that is transforming how we interact with the world around us.”

Robots are busy these days, carrying it a whole host of tasks, including fighting fires, serving cocktails in Vegas, working at city hall, and providing additional security - but Innovators Magazine says, fret not, this is about supporting society not taking it over.