Rodney Brooks
@rodneyabrooks.bsky.social
Primarily Robotics and AI. Distinguishing hype-notism from plausibility one press release at a time. rodneybrooks.com/blog people.csail.mit.edu/brooks
This is coming up first thing in the morning on October 20th.
September 16, 2026 at 7:39 PM
This is coming up first thing in the morning on October 20th.
Email today offering to pay me to endorse: "The campaign is for one of the largest Chinese humanoid robotics companies, focused on credible thought leaders across X & LinkedIn for Western-market awareness. We think you’d be a strong fit. If you’re interested, could you send over your current rates"
September 15, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Email today offering to pay me to endorse: "The campaign is for one of the largest Chinese humanoid robotics companies, focused on credible thought leaders across X & LinkedIn for Western-market awareness. We think you’d be a strong fit. If you’re interested, could you send over your current rates"
Another good one today. The link gives the overview of a 66 page paper dissecting 24 predictions about AI since 1950 through now, and why most of them are not testable statements--"not even wrong". But they certainly to get the press worked up. www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
See Luciano Floridi’s activity on LinkedIn
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www.linkedin.com
September 14, 2026 at 9:26 PM
Another good one today. The link gives the overview of a 66 page paper dissecting 24 predictions about AI since 1950 through now, and why most of them are not testable statements--"not even wrong". But they certainly to get the press worked up. www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
Cory @doctorow.pluralistic.net has been writing about inflammatory AI predictions for years. Message below is that systems are being deployed & given the ability to do real things on the network, without adequate testing or guardrails. The systems have zero intentions. medium.com/@doctorow/ll...
LLMs are real, AI is fake
No, it didn’t “go rogue.”
medium.com
September 14, 2026 at 9:19 PM
Cory @doctorow.pluralistic.net has been writing about inflammatory AI predictions for years. Message below is that systems are being deployed & given the ability to do real things on the network, without adequate testing or guardrails. The systems have zero intentions. medium.com/@doctorow/ll...
I have long thought that SpaceX's Starship is suffering from "second system syndrome", where the first system you built was wildly successful, but you have too many "must have"s, that threaten your second system's success. Turns out that term comes from 1975's Mythical Man Month about IBM's OS/360.
September 14, 2026 at 2:06 AM
I have long thought that SpaceX's Starship is suffering from "second system syndrome", where the first system you built was wildly successful, but you have too many "must have"s, that threaten your second system's success. Turns out that term comes from 1975's Mythical Man Month about IBM's OS/360.
Everyone wants to be a prophet of doom. From Bruce Mehlman's substack today brucemehlman.substack.com
September 13, 2026 at 8:58 PM
Everyone wants to be a prophet of doom. From Bruce Mehlman's substack today brucemehlman.substack.com
Look at *any* humanoid movie showing dexterity and compare to my haul of plastic on the beach tonight. 15 pieces in the left hand, stuffed there by my right hand, then 7 more one handed pickups on the right. Humans routinely use this level of dexterity in manual tasks. Humanoid robots not so much.
September 11, 2026 at 5:10 AM
Look at *any* humanoid movie showing dexterity and compare to my haul of plastic on the beach tonight. 15 pieces in the left hand, stuffed there by my right hand, then 7 more one handed pickups on the right. Humans routinely use this level of dexterity in manual tasks. Humanoid robots not so much.
@melaniemitchell.bsky.social always writes careful reviews of all sorts of claims about computation and AI, cleanly cutting through the hype to get at what the fundamental underlying truths are. Today: Open AI/Hugging Face. The last paragraph is the message! aiguide.substack.com/p/misleading...
Misleading Metaphors, Real Risks
What To Fear from AI Agents and How to Reclaim Our Human Agency
aiguide.substack.com
September 10, 2026 at 11:53 PM
@melaniemitchell.bsky.social always writes careful reviews of all sorts of claims about computation and AI, cleanly cutting through the hype to get at what the fundamental underlying truths are. Today: Open AI/Hugging Face. The last paragraph is the message! aiguide.substack.com/p/misleading...
Reposted by Rodney Brooks
What, an Anthropic researcher states (without evidence) that there is a 10% chance that AI will cause human extinction? Incredible, we have never before heard such a claim!
September 9, 2026 at 6:45 PM
What, an Anthropic researcher states (without evidence) that there is a 10% chance that AI will cause human extinction? Incredible, we have never before heard such a claim!
On September 22nd, I'll be doing a live podcast with Brian Heater in Mountain View followed by drinks and discussion (thank you Silicon Valley Robotics!). Register here. luma.com/n688dcl5
Automated Happy Hour · Luma
Join the Brian Heater, the Automated Podcast Crew and Silicon Valley Robotics for a great evening of networking, talks and robotics demos in Mountain View,…
luma.com
September 9, 2026 at 6:52 AM
On September 22nd, I'll be doing a live podcast with Brian Heater in Mountain View followed by drinks and discussion (thank you Silicon Valley Robotics!). Register here. luma.com/n688dcl5
Thank you @mikeyass.bsky.social for pointing this out. Yes, all my robotics, AI, startup, human spaceflight, autonomous vehicles etc., posting is uniquely here on Blue Sky.
Rodney Brooks is posting on bsky, gets ~0 likes because I like, many others, assumed he was cross posting.
As it turns out: he's not. Rodney Brooks is a poster.
As it turns out: he's not. Rodney Brooks is a poster.
September 9, 2026 at 6:44 AM
Thank you @mikeyass.bsky.social for pointing this out. Yes, all my robotics, AI, startup, human spaceflight, autonomous vehicles etc., posting is uniquely here on Blue Sky.
1/4 Humanoid markets are getting less frothy. First two paragraphs from a story below that is behind a paywall.
www.theinformation.com/articles/chi...
www.theinformation.com/articles/chi...
www.theinformation.com
September 9, 2026 at 6:30 AM
1/4 Humanoid markets are getting less frothy. First two paragraphs from a story below that is behind a paywall.
www.theinformation.com/articles/chi...
www.theinformation.com/articles/chi...
Reposted by Rodney Brooks
Hey @ericlipton.nytimes.com 👋
AI is not “evolving” on its own.
*People* are choosing how to build it. *People* are choosing how to train it. *People* are choosing how to run it.
Maybe the problem is that they are the *wrong people* to make these choices.
AI is not “evolving” on its own.
*People* are choosing how to build it. *People* are choosing how to train it. *People* are choosing how to run it.
Maybe the problem is that they are the *wrong people* to make these choices.
OpenAI’s top scientist, in a blog post on Sunday, warns that artificial intelligence is evolving so rapidly that it is becoming increasingly difficult for humans to understand and control it.
Here is the post:
openai.com/index/an-ali...
And a couple of small excerpts--clear warnings.
Here is the post:
openai.com/index/an-ali...
And a couple of small excerpts--clear warnings.
September 8, 2026 at 3:24 AM
Hey @ericlipton.nytimes.com 👋
AI is not “evolving” on its own.
*People* are choosing how to build it. *People* are choosing how to train it. *People* are choosing how to run it.
Maybe the problem is that they are the *wrong people* to make these choices.
AI is not “evolving” on its own.
*People* are choosing how to build it. *People* are choosing how to train it. *People* are choosing how to run it.
Maybe the problem is that they are the *wrong people* to make these choices.
Jitendra and I have been friends for 46 years, and I was a member of his thesis committee. I don't agree with him on everything, but here I do. x.com/JitendraMali...
x.com
September 8, 2026 at 5:37 AM
Jitendra and I have been friends for 46 years, and I was a member of his thesis committee. I don't agree with him on everything, but here I do. x.com/JitendraMali...
I just loaded my final report from a 1999-2004 research program, along with 73 research papers, at the bottom of the link below. We were teaching humanoids tasks using imitation and social interactions. Many historical documents from others higher on the page. people.csail.mit.edu/brooks/docum...
Rodney Brooks Bio
people.csail.mit.edu
September 7, 2026 at 9:18 PM
I just loaded my final report from a 1999-2004 research program, along with 73 research papers, at the bottom of the link below. We were teaching humanoids tasks using imitation and social interactions. Many historical documents from others higher on the page. people.csail.mit.edu/brooks/docum...
Who cares how fast a robot can run?? What we need is robots that can be in close collaboration with people, including helping the elderly in and out of bed and the bathroom, and being safe for people when in the same workspace.
August 30, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Who cares how fast a robot can run?? What we need is robots that can be in close collaboration with people, including helping the elderly in and out of bed and the bathroom, and being safe for people when in the same workspace.
Jonny Kim was in the lunar landing cohort and looked like a strong candidate for first return to the Moon. Further departures from NASA from within that team will be an indicator of internal loss of faith in the now very unlikely return to surface schedule. www.nasa.gov/news-release...
NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim Departs Agency to Continue Military Service - NASA
After nearly a decade of service to NASA, including an eight-month science expedition aboard the International Space Station, astronaut Jonny Kim’s last day
www.nasa.gov
August 28, 2026 at 6:22 PM
Jonny Kim was in the lunar landing cohort and looked like a strong candidate for first return to the Moon. Further departures from NASA from within that team will be an indicator of internal loss of faith in the now very unlikely return to surface schedule. www.nasa.gov/news-release...
Things are going great at Robust.AI which I cofounded in 2019 and which is my everyday job. Getting robots to real deployment takes a long time (Covid didn't help...). www.automate.org/robotics/ind...
Robust.AI Makes Leadership Changes at it Deploys 100th Robot
The industry vet discusses market realities amid unprecedented hype.
www.automate.org
August 28, 2026 at 12:51 AM
Things are going great at Robust.AI which I cofounded in 2019 and which is my everyday job. Getting robots to real deployment takes a long time (Covid didn't help...). www.automate.org/robotics/ind...
Reposted by Rodney Brooks
A Sr Waymo telop (ERT: Event Response Team, can remotely drive vehicles per Waymo) told a passenger
"I don't have clear visuals on what's going on"
It took ~minute to get "visuals" (~9 cameras), which prob need >10 mbps ~continuously.
US cell service is rarely life safety grade.
OP: x.TexasTSLA
"I don't have clear visuals on what's going on"
It took ~minute to get "visuals" (~9 cameras), which prob need >10 mbps ~continuously.
US cell service is rarely life safety grade.
OP: x.TexasTSLA
August 12, 2026 at 7:58 PM
A Sr Waymo telop (ERT: Event Response Team, can remotely drive vehicles per Waymo) told a passenger
"I don't have clear visuals on what's going on"
It took ~minute to get "visuals" (~9 cameras), which prob need >10 mbps ~continuously.
US cell service is rarely life safety grade.
OP: x.TexasTSLA
"I don't have clear visuals on what's going on"
It took ~minute to get "visuals" (~9 cameras), which prob need >10 mbps ~continuously.
US cell service is rarely life safety grade.
OP: x.TexasTSLA
Just published a shot blog post on four different time scales that technology development and deployment works at simultaneously. It is short. rodneybrooks.com/four-time-sc...
Four Time Scales for Technology Development and Deployment – Rodney Brooks
rodneybrooks.com
August 2, 2026 at 1:01 AM
Just published a shot blog post on four different time scales that technology development and deployment works at simultaneously. It is short. rodneybrooks.com/four-time-sc...
1/3 How do you feel about living in a world full of rude robots that have been trained to navigate from watching first person shooter games and to treat you as an NPC (non player character)? [Admittedly, in such a game it is better to be an NPC...] I asked Gemini about this new set of startups:
July 31, 2026 at 6:00 PM
1/3 How do you feel about living in a world full of rude robots that have been trained to navigate from watching first person shooter games and to treat you as an NPC (non player character)? [Admittedly, in such a game it is better to be an NPC...] I asked Gemini about this new set of startups:
"Ironically, scientists have abandoned the idea that living organisms have been designed by God, only to adopt of model of the living based on artifacts made by an engineer." Ch 1 of "The Brain, in Theory" Romain Brette Princeton U. Press 2026. Ch 1 is a tour de force take down of computationalism.
July 27, 2026 at 12:51 AM
"Ironically, scientists have abandoned the idea that living organisms have been designed by God, only to adopt of model of the living based on artifacts made by an engineer." Ch 1 of "The Brain, in Theory" Romain Brette Princeton U. Press 2026. Ch 1 is a tour de force take down of computationalism.
Update on my dated tech predictions from Jan 1, 2018. Most dates were for the first ten years (spoiler alert: I was overly optimistic when everyone thought I was being a pessimist). New analysis every Jan 1st for 24 more years, on the remainder plus 5 new themes. rodneybrooks.com/house-cleani...
House Cleaning My January 1, 2018 Predictions – Rodney Brooks
rodneybrooks.com
July 26, 2026 at 5:25 AM
Update on my dated tech predictions from Jan 1, 2018. Most dates were for the first ten years (spoiler alert: I was overly optimistic when everyone thought I was being a pessimist). New analysis every Jan 1st for 24 more years, on the remainder plus 5 new themes. rodneybrooks.com/house-cleani...
Report from Tesla's earnings call today. The magical-thinking promises about Optimus have caused so many others to pile on to the humanoid in the sky dream.
Um. The humanoid robot, Optimus, is not bound for customers' or partners' sites any time soon. Tesla said it expects "to start production soon," and "initial Optimus builds will be used in our Optimus Academy for training data collection and further functionality development." (unsurprising womp?)
July 22, 2026 at 9:28 PM
Report from Tesla's earnings call today. The magical-thinking promises about Optimus have caused so many others to pile on to the humanoid in the sky dream.
"Cooling is where physics separates the science from the fiction. The governing equation for radiative cooling, the only type of cooling available in space, is known as the Stefan-Boltzmann Law." A midrange 100 MW data center would need 200,000 sq meters of cooling. spectrum.ieee.org/orbital-data...
The Real Cost Of Cooling GPUs In Space Might Shock You
Shedding heat will require ingenious new designs
spectrum.ieee.org
July 16, 2026 at 11:30 PM
"Cooling is where physics separates the science from the fiction. The governing equation for radiative cooling, the only type of cooling available in space, is known as the Stefan-Boltzmann Law." A midrange 100 MW data center would need 200,000 sq meters of cooling. spectrum.ieee.org/orbital-data...