Watch: The story of Erica, the most autonomous humanoid robot on earth

In a world where people daydream about engaging in passionate romances with virtual assistants, the boundary between humans and machines is gradually washing away. But no other high-tech invention disrupts this dichotomy more than Erica, the world’s most autonomous humanoid robot.

In a new short documentary, The Guardian tells the story of 23-year-old android Erica and her ‘father’ – Japanese robotics guru Hiroshi Ishiguro.

Born at the intersection between technology and philosophy, Erica unsettles the very definition of what it means to be human.

She has a welcoming countenance and a soothing voice, but does she have a soul? This is one of the conundrums Ishiguro and his partner in crime Dylan Glas extrapolate on in the 15-minute docufilm.

Meet Erica and familiarize yourself with her little quirks and idiosyncrasies by watching the full documentary in the video above.

And in case you want to ask Erica a question: The Guardian is currently accepting submissions from readers and will ask the most interesting questions in its upcoming follow-up video.