Guy Hoffman

Associate Professor

Guy Hoffman, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Cornell University, studies computational, design, and social aspects of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), focusing on human-robot collaboration and companionship.

Hoffman says:

“Tesla's shift is either bold or risky, depending on how optimistic you are about unproven technologies. While future breakthroughs are always hard to predict, let’s keep in mind that humanoid robots—despite their current buzz—remain highly experimental. I would argue that the popularity of humanoids is driven more by sci‑fi appeal than engineering rationale, as bipedal robots are dynamically unstable and such a one-size-fits-all design is rarely the most efficient solution for real tasks, from homes to hospitals or factories. 

“Most humanoid demonstrations today are tightly controlled, often tele‑operated, and not indicative of autonomous, market‑ready systems. We are still waiting for major advances in robot learning, and even when they do, commercialization can take decades. Autonomous vehicles, for example, required roughly twenty years to move from early breakthroughs to limited real‑world deployment. Therefore, distinguishing hype from capability remains essential.”