The world might seem to be on the brink of a humanoid-robot heyday. New breakthroughs in artificial intelligence promise the type of capable, general-purpose robots previously seen only in science fiction—robots that can do things like assemble cars, care for patients, or tidy our homes, all without being given specialized instructions.
It’s an idea that has attracted an enormous amount of attention, capital, and optimism. Yet recent progress has arguably been more about style than substance. Advancements in AI have undoubtedly made robots easier to train, but they have yet to enable them to truly sense their surroundings, “think” of what to do next, and carry out those decisions in the way some viral videos might imply.
But on the road to helping humanoid robots win our trust, one question looms larger than any other: How much will they be able to do on his own? And how much will they still rely on humans? Read the full story.
—James O’Donnell
This story is from the forthcoming magazine edition of MIT Technology Review, set to go live on January 6—it’s all about the exciting breakthroughs happening in the world right now. If you don’t already, subscribe to receive future copies.
If you’re interested in the future of robots, why not check out:
+ A skeptic’s guide to humanoid-robot videos. The right video can land a startup millions in investment and a devoted public following. But what do these videos really show?
+ Is robotics about to have its own ChatGPT moment? Read the full story.
+ To be more useful, robots need to become lazier. Smarter data processing could make machines more helpful and energy-efficient in the real world. A good way to test this principle is robot soccer.
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