This robot will deliver your food, if it doesn’t get smashed first
The machines have been kicked, beaten and defaced – but are also vacuuming up data
In American cities, food delivery robots are being delivered and tested, but they are often vandalized, kicked, and damaged. Jag Gonzalez, a 28-year-old, tried to rescue a robot that had been flipped over and continued to be kicked by a pedestrian. The trend of attacking the robots is viewed as a way for people to express their frustration with corporations and AI technology, said Eunisses Hernandez, a Los Angeles City Council member.
Despite having lost over $100 million last year, Serve Robotics, one of the few publicly traded operators, continues to operate with support from tech giants like Nvidia, Sam Altman, Uber, and Nebius. These robots assess traffic, plan routes, and deliver food to customers using AI. However, their abuse has caused chaos, blocking ambulances, clogging walkways, and colliding with vehicles, leading to fears and mistrust among the public.
Written by urgent.news from The Business Times - Companies & Markets's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
