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Merkel Says ‘All of Us Are Very Sad’ About Germany’s World Cup Loss

Merkel expresses disappointment over Germany’s loss in the FIFA World Cup 2018.

Merkel Says ‘All of Us Are Very Sad’ About Germany’s World Cup Loss
Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, looks on as she awaits the arrival of European leaders and U.S. President Barack Obama in Berlin (Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel said “all of us are very sad” about Germany’s elimination from the World Cup, unexpectedly turning a conversation about artificial intelligence into an exchange on soccer with a talking robot.

At a discussion of ethics and robotics two hours after the national team’s defeat on Wednesday, the programmed voice machine on stage tried to make the best of it, mentioning Germany’s long record of championship wins.

Merkel Says ‘All of Us Are Very Sad’ About Germany’s World Cup Loss

Merkel said this was true over a long time span, but added: “Honestly, all of us are very sad tonight.”

Returning to the topic at hand, Merkel said Germany needs to retain “strategic capabilities” such as battery production and artificial intelligence. The country also needs more “disruptive thinking” on technology to compete globally, she told the audience in Berlin.

To contact the reporter on this story: Arne Delfs in Berlin at adelfs@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alan Crawford at acrawford6@bloomberg.net, Tony Czuczka, Chad Thomas

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