Episode 053: Andrew Kiguel
What if the biggest role for robots and AI isn’t replacing jobs, but replacing loneliness?
In this episode, I’m joined by Andrew Kiguel, CEO of Realbotix, the company building what might be the most realistic humanoid robots in the world.
Andrew explains why Realbotix isn’t focused on robots that walk, cook, or do backflips, but on something far more human: connection, companionship, and emotional wellbeing.
We explore:
Why companionship may be the biggest market in AI
Whether AI relationships can be “real”
The ethics of human-like robots and emotional attachment
Loneliness, mental health, and ageing populations
Why ultra-realistic design matters more than raw intelligence
The difference between assistive technology and replacement
Where the line is between innovation, discomfort, and progress
Andrew also shares his journey from investment banking and Bitcoin mining to humanoid robotics, and why he believes we’re still years away from a true Westworld, but much closer than people think to robots becoming part of everyday life.
This is not a conversation about sci-fi fantasies. It’s about what it really means to be human in an age of intelligent machines.
