Babbage: An interview with a humanoid robot

Engineers have spent decades trying to create functional humanoid robots, which look and act like humans. But these machines, which combine complex mechanics with generative artificial intelligence models, like ChatGPT, are finally coming-of-age. Are they good enough to sustain a human-like conversation, though?Host Alok Jha travels to Cornwall to meet Ameca, a robot made by Engineered Arts. Will Jackson, the company’s boss, explains how the technology behind Ameca works and the advantages of having robots that look and behave like people. Plus, Paul Markillie, The Economist’s innovation editor, assesses the state of the field and how to prepare for the rollout of humanoid robots. For full access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions subscribe at economist.com/podcastoffer and sign up for our weekly science newsletter at economist.com/simplyscience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.