When will we get used to creepy androids?

You may not have heard of Hanson Robotics, butif you're reading this, you've probably seen their work. This company built the robot Sophia, a humanoid android that has made numerous public appearances. Prior to that, the same company built a strange robot that looked like Asimo with the head of Albert Einstein - or you saw BINA48, who was interviewed by the New York Times in 2010. They even made a replica of the legendary writer Philip Dick (you know him for sure).

As he grew older, he realized what would beit's more efficient to recreate your replica with cosmetic surgery instead of re-sculpting your face, each time with more wrinkles. “I decided not to age anymore,” he says.

We love throwing abstract concepts into the air andideas: machines replace people, machines take care of people, sex with machines, merging with machines. But weigh any of these ideas in the palm of your hand and you will find a huge gap between what is expected and what is real. We are still far from a world in which everyday interaction with robots will be a chore, and not academic research.