Are Humanoids the New Hype? My Personal Reflection on Design, Technology, and the Overstimulated Human Mind

In every era, a new technological promise emerges—NFTs, blockchain, electric vehicles, AI platforms—all bearing the unmistakable signature of progress. And now, we seem to be on the cusp of the next infatuation: humanoids.

But are we truly ready to welcome lifelike machines into our homes, workplaces, and lives? Or are we merely being swept—once again—by the tidal currents of hype generated by those who profit from acceleration?

As a designer who has spent decades at the intersection of form, function, and human experience, I cannot help but question: Are we designing what the world truly needs, or simply what is technologically possible?

We live in a time when the human psyche is saturated. Bombarded by products we never asked for, services we never sought, and messages we never welcomed, our attention has become the ultimate commodity. In this climate, the designer’s role must evolve—not to embellish the latest tech marvel, but to distil meaning, re-centre the human, and critically interrogate purpose.

If humanoid robots are to move beyond novelty, we must slow down. We must ask deeper questions:

• What human need does this truly serve?

• What social, emotional, and cultural contexts are we embedding into these synthetic bodies?

• Can empathy be designed? Or are we engineering another distraction?

Good design has never been about noise. It is about silence. Space. Reflection. And perhaps now more than ever, it must act as a filter, a critic, and a bridge—between innovation and intention, between artificial intelligence and natural wisdom.

We do not need more. We need better. Thoughtfully, responsibly, and humanely designed futures.

—Anton R.

Product Designer, Educator, Skeptic, Believer