Can we find common ground with our mechanical creations?

Nature · Published 30 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1967, as industrial robotics began to emerge, thinkers wondered if machines would remain mere tools or become companions. This archival footage explores the early transition from science fiction dreams to engineering realities.

The program features perspectives from pioneers like Don Carter, creator of the humanoid Sim One, and Joseph Engelberger, who developed the Unimate industrial robot. It examines whether robots will eventually move beyond being servants to becoming entities with which humans can identify.

Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov predicted a combined culture where mankind seeks robots as friends. The broadcast investigates laboratories in England and America to see how close engineers were to making these visions a reality.

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