Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has gone global with his Government's innovation agenda, telling an audience in Japan their country's commitment to technological advancement is inspiring.

Mr Turnbull is due to meet with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe for informal talks today, but was first greeted by what he said was as a "charming and curious" robot at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation.

He enthusiastically posed for selfies with the robot and posted a photo to his Facebook page with the caption: "With Asimo the robot — he can talk, run, jump, hop, shake hands and pose for selfies!"

He said Asimo – which he described as the "first robot I've taken a selfie with" – was created during the "century for imagination and innovation".

Mr Turnbull described the timing of his one-day trip as auspicious, telling a lunchtime gathering that Japanese robotic technology was already in use in Australia.

read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-18/turnbull-snaps-robot-selfie-in-japan/7042006

No need to tell him robots have been in use in Australia for a long long time... and some of them are on the dole.