Humanoid robots have become the tech industry’s favorite promise, starring in glossy launch events and viral warehouse demos that hint at a near future of mechanical co‑workers and household helpers.

This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. A hot new job has emerged in Los Angeles: robot wrangler to help delivery bots navigate the real world. The robots ...

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this ...

AI’s concealed labor has repeatedly led us to overestimate the technology. Humanoid robots are entering a similar phase. This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI.