GizmoSapiens Show 273 - Didn't We Learn Anything from the Movies?
In this episode, Chris and Matt explore four stories that show what happens when AI, automation, and gadgets step off our screens and into the physical world. First, we look at a live demo where security researchers hijacked a commercially available humanoid robot using nothing but spoken commands, then used short‑range wireless to spread the exploit to an offline robot—turning embodied AI into a potential physical weapon. Next, we head to Japan, where Ishinomaki City is deploying Terra Drone–built “bear‑repellent spray drones” to deal with record numbers of human‑bear encounters, injuries, and deaths, using capsaicin spray as a non‑lethal deterrent from up to a kilometer away. Back at the dinner table, pasta sauce brand Prego and nonprofit StoryCorps have created the “Connection Keeper,” a $20, puck‑shaped, screen‑free recorder meant to get phones off the table and preserve family conversations, with an option to archive them via StoryCorps and even the Library of Congress. Finally, we discuss de‑extinction company Colossal’s claim that it has hatched 26 live chicks from artificial eggshells—3D‑printed honeycomb containers with silicone membranes—positioning the technology as a step toward bringing back extinct birds like the dodo and giant moa. Together, these stories raise big questions about safety, surveillance, conservation, and what counts as “humane” technology in a world where bits are increasingly attached to atoms. Links discussed: “Researchers Show Some Robots Can Be Hijacked Just Through Spoken Commands” (Slashdot / Interesting Engineering, DARKNAVY demo) “Japanese city deploys anti-bear drones as ‘human casualties at an all-time high’” (Terra Drone coverage and news reports) “Has the smartphone hijacked your dinner table? StoryCorps and Prego made this gadget to rescue your dinner convos” (TechRadar and Prego materials) “Chickens without eggs? De-extinction company creates artificial egg.” (Ars Technica, Colossal Biosciences) See you on the Digital Flip-side!
