Short circuit: how humanoid robots are set to walk into our lives

WE ARE ENTERING THE ERA OF MECHANICAL AI 'BEINGS', SAYS CHRIS STOKEL-WALKER, AND ALL EYES ARE ON CHINA...

- CHRIS STOKEL-WALKER

It feels as if we're closer than we've ever been in history to seeing humanoid robots standing alongside us. Experts and big tech entrepreneurs say we're heading into a prime moment of innovation where we'll watch robot athletes compete with one another on TV while robotic workers carry out jobs previously only done by humans. Elon Musk has called it a "robot army" that needs to be guided carefully, while also telling investors in his electric vehicle company, Tesla, that in a robot-enabled future "working will be optional." Almost 90 years ago, the first humanoid home assistant was presented to the world by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. A burnished gold, angular and boxy butler, Elektro — and his dog assistant, Sparko — were more proofs of concept than a real, meaningful plan. “Although Elektro could move his limbs, speak a limited number of words and walk, his main capabilities were blowing up balloons and smoking cigarettes,” says Jonathan Aitken, a robotics expert at the University of Sheffield. Elektro didn’t come to fruition, but we're nearly at the point where the future finally arrives. Earlier this year, Beijing held the World Humanoid Robot Games, which showcased human-like robots competing in a range of athletic feats. While some memorably failed, drunkenly stumbling offtrack, others showed surprisingly good movement abilities.

Musk vs Beijing vs Altman