Science Fiction, Showmanship, and Expectation

Paris Marx is joined by James Vincent to discuss why we’re seeing humanoid robots everywhere, the motivations to pursue an all-purpose robot, how close we are to achieving that goal, and the social implications if we were to achieve it.

James Vincent is a UK-based journalist and author of Beyond Measure: The Hidden History of Measurement from Cubits to Quantum Constants.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.

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Also mentioned in this episode:

• James wrote about what kicking robots can tell us about the state of modern robotics

• Rodney Brooks makes a case for the difficulty in teaching robots human dexterity

• Here is an in-depth look at what Agility Robotics has been working on

• Shout-out to the 2008 movie Sleep Dealer

• Japanese convenience stores are using robots run by offshore operators

• This is what a toilet cleaning robot looks like