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.
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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.
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