Regarding the Oct. 8 article "Toshiba unveils a humanoid robot that could be a sign of the times": I find it ironic that as the human population continues to increase, we are trying our best to make robots do the work of humans, aiming to find substitutes for tour guides, companions, etc.
This is not to say that such research in itself is unworthy of praise, and I do not intend to belittle the giant strides in technological development. I do understand that a robot or forklift doing the work of lifting heavy materials in a factory is a great advancement in science over human workers having to slave away at that kind of work. I'm just fascinated with why we are so obsessed with this infantile desire to create substitutes for human beings. Am I the only one pondering this?
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.