The (Robot) Creative Class

INTELLIGENCER | NYMagazine

Richard Morgan | NYMag.com

Machines have been chipping away at manufacturing jobs for decades, proving themselves faster, cheaper, and more precise than flesh-and-blood line workers. Now engineers are aiming higher than factory drudgery, pivoting from menial to artisanal labor once thought exclusively human. It’s baby steps so far—no need to panic—but according to Moore’s Law, machines’ skills do double every two years. So …

Lover For $6,995—$100 extra for pubic hair—New Jersey–based True Companion sells what it bills as “the world’s first sex robot.” Both male (Rocky) and female (Roxxxy) versions are the same size: five foot seven and 120 pounds. Breasts and penises come in customizable cup sizes and lengths, and there are seven personality settings, including Mature Martha (“more of a conversationalist,” says Doug Hines, its creator), Young Yoko (who’s barely 18), S&M Susan, and Frigid Farrah.

Journalist Developed with Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism, Chicago-based Narrative Science created a computer program that writes basic news articles like sports-game summaries and earnings reports. It already has at least 30 clients, including Forbes and sports heavyweight the Big Ten Network.

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