SMRTR TechJun 18, 2026Hacker News

Who's Actually Running That Robot?

SMRTR summary

Despite flashy demo videos showing robots folding laundry or playing sports, most humanoid robots are far less independent than advertised — many are secretly controlled by humans using VR headsets, with engineers constantly fixing breakdowns behind the scenes. This hidden labor goes unrecognized while machines get the credit. The real risk isn't mass unemployment but a growing class of underpaid, invisible workers supporting these systems.

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