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It's actually really hard to make a robot, guys

NPR | By Geoff Brumfiel,
Darian Woods, Cooper Katz McKim, Julia Ritchey, Kate Concannon
Published May 12, 2025 at 9:12 AM EDT

Robots have been a thing for a long time, but they've never quite met expectations. While AI has changed the game for chatbots, it's not quite so clear for robots. NPR science desk correspondent Geoff Brumfiel spoke to our colleagues over on our science podcast Short Wave on how humanoid robots are actually developing with the help of artificial intelligence. It was a fascinating discussion and so we are sharing that conversation with you today on the Indicator.

Related episodes:
Is AI underrated? (Apple / Spotify)
Is AI overrated? (Apple / Spotify)
Dial M for Mechanization (Apple / Spotify)

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

Copyright 2025 NPR

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Geoff Brumfiel
Geoff Brumfiel works as a senior editor and correspondent on NPR's science desk.
See stories by Geoff Brumfiel
Darian Woods
Darian Woods is a co-host of The Indicator from Planet Money.
See stories by Darian Woods
Cooper Katz McKim
Cooper Katz McKim is an Associate Producer for The Indicator from Planet Money.
Julia Ritchey
Julia Ritchey is an audio journalist with 15 years experience reporting, editing and podcasting all over the country. She's reported from eight states and all four U.S. time zones, most recently at Nashville Public Radio, Tennessee's largest NPR affiliate, overseeing the station's policy, environmental and education beats.
Kate Concannon
Kate Concannon is the Supervising Senior Editor at The Indicator from Planet Money. She leads this small, collaborative team of hosts, reporters and producers in making sense of crucial, but often complex and confusing, economic news in just 10 minutes a day.
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