#delivery-robots

#delivery-robots

Ole (a pseudonym) was an early cyberutopian, one of many who embraced the internet as a democratizing technology, overturning old monopolies and power imbalances. Then the internet was taken over by big-tech companies that established new monopolies and new power imbalances. Recently, he has begun to talk a lot about AI-enabled robots. How do humans fit into the plans of tech companies and aligned governments? And how will the widespread use of robots change our daily lives?

Earlier this week, DoorDash unveiled its own new autonomous robot called Dot. The company says it's part of its goal to have a "hybrid" model for deliveries going forward. It's the latest sign of a renewed interest in the industry of delivery robots after years of challenges. WIRED's Aarian Marshall joins us to discuss why this matters for all of us, whether we're ordering in or not.

Your 2am Ben & Jerry's might soon be delivered by what looks like the love child of Wall-E and Lightning McQueen. This week, DoorDash unveiled an intentionally adorable delivery robot named Dot, which it's piloting in the Phoenix area, with plans for a wide rollout in the metro area by the year's end. The anthropomorphic food box on wheels is DoorDash's first foray into ground-based autonomous delivery-a frontier many companies have struggled to conquer due to the challenge of navigating chaotic streets without angering pedestrians.