What’s Driving the Push For Humanoid Robots w/ James Vincent
What’s Driving the Push For Humanoid Robots w/ James Vincent  
Podcast: Tech Won't Save Us
Published On: Thu Feb 19 2026
Description: Paris Marx is joined by James Vincent to discuss why we’re seeing humanoid robots everywhere, the motivations to pursue an all-purpose robot, how close we are to achieving that goal, and the social implications if we were to achieve it. James Vincent is a UK-based journalist and author of Beyond Measure: The Hidden History of Measurement from Cubits to Quantum Constants. Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan at https://incogni.com/saveus. Promo Code SAVEUS Also mentioned in this episode: James wrote about what kicking robots can tell us about the state of modern robotics Rodney Brooks makes a case for the difficulty in teaching robots human dexterity Here is an in-depth look at what Agility Robotics has been working on Shout-out to the 2008 movie Sleep Dealer Japanese convenience stores are using robots run by offshore operators This is what a toilet cleaning robot looks like