Mom's Robot, and Why AI Still Needs Us (For Now)

We’re on the brink of helper robots who drive us to work, drop off the kids at school, pick up our groceries from the grocery store, and offer advice when we complain about our toxic coworkers.

I bought my mother a Roomba for Christmas last year, and it has become her favorite pet. She calls it The Robot, and is endlessly fussing over it. Checking the app to see where it has cleaned, following it back to the station to empty its little dustpan. Worrying about when it gets caught on the fringe of a rug and spits out its sweeper, or bumps into u…