"I gave life to a robot": the story of Alex Aworet, a student at aivancity

At first, NAO knew only one thing: how to dance. It was charming, but frustrating. Soon, an idea came to mind:

• What if NAO could become more than just a dancer? An interactive companion, capable of conversing and telling stories.

The challenge was immense. Everything had to be coded in Python 2, a language that is now obsolete. And the robot’s technical limitations—microphones, cameras, overheating—made the project even more complex.

After weeks of hard work, on September 16, 2025, during the inauguration of the aivancity Paris–Villejuif campus, NAO finally spoke to the visitors. It was a magical moment: the robot captivated the audience, which included Yasmine Camara, Vice President of the Île-de-France Region, and several professors such as Frédéric Anscombre and Jiani Wei, who warmly congratulated us.

But beyond the technical success, my greatest source of pride has been meeting the expectations of our president, Tawhid Chtioui, and my mentors, Fabien Carlier and Nasreddine Menacer, while sharing a unique human journey with my team

This internship showed me just how much AI can transform robotics and make human-machine interactions more natural and exciting. Thanks to what I learned at aivancity, I was immersed in a world where technological innovation meets human creativity.

And this is just the beginning: I can’t wait to discover the new frontiers that artificial intelligence will invite me to explore.