Multinational tech giant Amazon recently released a household robot named Astro. The robot, currently available by invitation only, puts Amazon’s virtual assistant, Alexa, onto a dog-sized body with wheels that roams around your living space.

Astro’s primary function is home monitoring and security.

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And will do surveillance for the right price in a pinch.

The following submission statement was provided by /u/WallStreetDoesntBet:

Multinational tech giant Amazon recently released a household robot named Astro. The robot, currently available by invitation only, puts Amazon’s virtual assistant, Alexa, onto a dog-sized body with wheels that roams around your living space.

Astro’s primary function is home monitoring and security.

Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/ygf0fr/robot_companions_are_on_their_way_but_dont_worry/iu88idh/

Won't it do that whether you want it to or not?

All the sci fi has us prepped to think that various robot companions are a worthy and worthwhile future, yet those rosy stories often failed to depict the part about the large corporation or government having direct surveillance access I to everybody's homes.

And you don't have to be a roght-wing prepper to want to avoid surveillance... I wonder if this plays into the marlet for tech gadgets? And is this fixed, or are we all slowly adjusting to surveillance conditions with tracking cookies, etc.?

Already does it, but not systematically at the state or military industrial level. Funny hey we pay for our own surveillance.

JFC, can people write a single article about artificial intelligence or robotics without stopping to reassure humans that they’re still magical and exceptional snowflakes? People have repeatedly tried to say “machines could never do x” since the first machine was invented, and they have been proven wrong every single time. Why commit to being on the Luddite side of history?

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The government, heck anyone really, could he harvesting your brain waves for their own nefarious purposes.

Or they could be sending signals to your brains to make you their pocket citizen.

Or aliens... or God.... maybe bacteria the size of galaxies?

Anyways at the end of the day you're already being watched and this watcher could either be eh or they might be eating popcorn as they watch your dreams.

Just don't use it... like... never. No matter what, even if I put a gun to your head don't use it.

“Don’t worry, they won’t replace humans…“ Yeah sure, I believe that for a second. Who typed that out? Let me guess… a robot?!

I'll worry when they can vacuum my house without getting stuck and drive my car without my intervention.