WHETHER it’s a car that drives itself, a flying saucer-like vacuum that takes care of the dusting, or a kitchen assistant that orders food supplies online, the rise of the robots is upon us.Though various forms of android machines have been around for years, we are now getting a clearer picture of what life with robots will be like in the future.Scientific researchers are redoubling their efforts, and industrial companies are increasing their investments; as a result, robots are increasingly effective in a variety of tasks. So effective that countless jobs seem at risk. Every few months, a new study comes out predicting the elimination of entire job sectors, swallowed up by nimble machinery.The story of robots is one of the most complex and subtle in the history of human innovation, for at least three reasons. First, defining a robot becomes increasingly difficult as technology evolves. Second, there is no objective, agreed-upon time when robots emerged. Finally, for decades robots ...
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