Futur
Can you imagine going grocery shopping accompanied by someone who doesn’t actually exist but understands your emotions?
Androids are no longer imaginary —they observe, learn, and coexist with us.
An android is a robot designed to resemble humans, both in appearance and in the way it communicates. Its purpose goes far beyond performing tasks; it aims to do so with naturalness, expressiveness, and empathy.
Thanks to advances in artificial intelligence, androids can hold real conversations, recognise faces, and interpret human emotions.
For example, Sophia, developed by Hanson Robotics, can participate in conferences, read facial expressions, and speak fluently with people.
Ameca, from Engineered Arts, is a humanoid robot designed with gestures and micro-expressions that closely mimic those of humans.
They are the perfect fusion of engineering and emotion. But are androids robots —or are robots androids?
Androids vs. robots: the key differences
While every android is a robot, not every robot is an android.
Traditional robots perform specific tasks such as assembling parts, cleaning floors, or automating processes. Their goal is efficiency.
Androids, on the other hand, imitate human gestures, expressions, and behaviours. Their structure blends advanced mechanics, motion sensors, computer vision, and cognitive software capable of interpreting their surroundings and responding coherently.
A 2018 experiment at the University of Osaka showed that interactions between humans and a humanoid robot increased participant empathy more effectively than interactions with a traditional robot.
The origin of androids: from mechanical dreams to AI
Human fascination with human-like machines dates back centuries.
In the 18th century, watchmakers and inventors created automatons capable of writing, painting, or playing instruments —the first attempts to bring metal and gears to life.
By the 20th century, the dream began to materialise.
The first humanoid robots appeared in laboratories and in films, shaping our collective imagination. From Metropolis (1927) to Star Wars, androids became symbols of progress and ethical dilemmas.
The real turning point came with artificial intelligence and machine learning. Androids stopped being pre-programmed mechanisms and became systems that learn, adapt, and communicate with their environment.
Models that marked an era
Examples like Sophia and Ameca represent today’s cutting edge: hyper-realistic faces, natural conversations, and micro‑expressions capable of eliciting empathy. But they’re not the only ones:
- Geminoid HI-1 and Geminoid F. Nearly identical replicas of their creators, used in studies on empathy, telepresence, and social perception.
- Erica. Developed as an Android presenter. She can hold natural conversations thanks to machine learning and has hosted television programmes in Japan.
- Nadine. A social android with memory, facial recognition, and basic emotions, designed as a companion and personal assistant.
In 2025, China once again surprised the world with IRON, the hyper-realistic humanoid robot from Xpeng Motors, unveiled during AI Day in Guangzhou.
Its appearance was so realistic that engineers opened it up on stage to prove there wasn’t a person inside. With a bionic structure inspired by the human body, a flexible spine, artificial muscles, and synthetic skin, IRON can perform natural gestures and even convey warmth to the touch.
The android is powered by three AI chips, delivering a combined 2,250 trillion operations per second and enabling real-time reactions with smooth, precise movements.
What are androids used for?
Androids have moved beyond the lab and into everyday life. Their role continues to expand across fields like education, healthcare, and entertainment.
In education and research
In classrooms and universities, androids teach programming, robotics, and social empathy.
In laboratories, they serve as experimental models for studying human‑machine interaction, allowing technology to learn from psychology and vice versa.
In healthcare and personal care
In hospitals and care homes, androids assist with rehabilitation, personalised support, and emotional companionship.
Some include sensors that detect mood changes or stress levels, making them allies for emotional and physical well-being.
In entertainment and culture
Androids appear in exhibits, shows, and artistic projects that explore the boundary between humans and technology.
Every gesture and every word is the result of a precise choreography between code, mechanics, and emotion.
The future of androids
More autonomy and realism
The future will bring androids with artificial emotional intelligence, flexible materials that mimic human tissue, and a deeper understanding of natural language. They will be able to interpret context, irony, intent, and emotion.
Ethics and coexistence
Technological progress raises ethical challenges: privacy, digital rights, and coexistence between humans and machines. The real question isn’t whether they will replace us, but how they can integrate into society without eroding what makes us human.
Toward complementary intelligence
The ideal future isn’t one dominated by androids, but one where humans and AI work together. Technology should amplify our abilities and strengthen our empathy, not replace it.
Androids are the most complex reflection of human curiosity —machines that seek to understand us through imitation. They embody centuries of engineering, art, and philosophy centred on a single purpose: to understand what it means to be human.
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