A small white robot rolled down a Philadelphia sidewalk last week, minding its business, hauling what appeared to be a delivery order. Within hours, it was the most talked-about piece of technology in the city — and not because anyone was impressed.
The six-wheeled autonomous delivery bot, identified as a unit operated by Serve Robotics, was spotted navigating the sidewalks of Center City Philadelphia, prompting an immediate and visceral backlash from residents, city officials, and the internet at large. The robot, roughly the size of a large cooler, was apparently conducting deliveries in a city that had not authorized its presence. As Futurism reported, the machine’s appearance was met with a level of hostility that should give the autonomous delivery industry serious pause.
Philadelphia doesn’t want your robot. That much is clear…