{"id":2865,"date":"2026-05-25T14:40:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T14:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/25\/delivery-robots-are-spreading-across-la-residents-both-pity-and-hate-them\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T14:40:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T14:40:10","slug":"delivery-robots-are-spreading-across-la-residents-both-pity-and-hate-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=2865","title":{"rendered":"Delivery robots are spreading across LA. Residents \u2018both pity and hate them\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1fw0voq\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1j5hrwi\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"3f935c4a-cdaf-4227-b5c4-85325b013c17\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A pink Coco delivery robot with an orange flag waits at a street corner by a crosswalk\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/98ae348752a21d7121a8efa3737915fb57abe5b9\/0_0_6000_4000\/master\/6000.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">A delivery robot in Santa Monica on 14 August 2024.<\/span> Photograph: James D Morgan\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"3f935c4a-cdaf-4227-b5c4-85325b013c17\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">A delivery robot in Santa Monica on 14 August 2024.<\/span> Photograph: James D Morgan\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Delivery robots are spreading across LA. Residents \u2018both pity and hate them\u2019<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-cj4vxp\">\n<p>A region known for its lack of walkability now has more obstacles for pedestrians to contend with<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Robots have taken over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/los-angeles\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Los Angeles<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">It\u2019s not just the AI-generated videos that have caused angst in Hollywood. Our streets are full of driverless Waymo vehicles, covered in more sensors and gadgets than the Batmobile. And our walkways are home to fleets of boxes on wheels, hurrying past pedestrians and navigating outdoor bar-hoppers as the robots deliver smoothies and keto-friendly salads.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">And it\u2019s only getting stranger. This month, Serve Robotics, one of the leading companies behind the food-delivery bots, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business\/story\/2026-05-05\/growing-fleet-of-delivery-bots-spreads-to-40-la-neighborhoods\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">deployed another 500<\/a> of them in 40 neighborhoods across the city, up from two neighborhoods in 2023. The other big company, Coco Robotics, founded at UCLA in 2020, has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business\/story\/2026-02-28\/new-generation-of-delivery-robots-is-coming-to-l-a-built-bigger-stronger\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">about 300 robots<\/a> across the city and is looking to expand. Soon a region already known for its lack of walkability will have more obstacles for pedestrians to contend with.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"8f4beed4-8da2-4bab-b560-2bf49e516602\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a robot delivery car \" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/2212de61a55e767687ef9c7cf485a09a8cf2786c\/0_0_5697_3831\/master\/5697.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"299.2443391258557\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"8f4beed4-8da2-4bab-b560-2bf49e516602\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">A delivery robot in West Hollywood on 19 March 2024. <\/span> Photograph: Mario Tama\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The expansion has sparked consternation in LA and other US cities as residents debate whether our new neighbors are welcome. Neighboring Glendale is <a href=\"https:\/\/abc7.com\/post\/glendale-takes-steps-regulate-delivery-robots-serve-robotics-fleet-expands-los-angeles-area\/19048747\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">considering a moratorium<\/a> on the bots; Chicago has also <a href=\"https:\/\/blockclubchicago.org\/2026\/02\/10\/logan-square-wicker-park-neighbors-say-no-to-more-delivery-robots\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">limited their expansion<\/a>. Worse than the sidewalk frustrations, they mean fewer jobs for delivery drivers, even if some are human-controlled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">On the flip side, they don\u2019t emit exhaust fumes or add to road traffic. And when they\u2019re not accidentally <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WJD4BMZYHTc\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">smashing the glass on bus shelters<\/a>, they achieve R2-D2 levels of cuteness, manipulating us with little nametags and blinking digital eyes.Is resisting the robots simply denying the future of food delivery?<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inspiring-both-pity-and-hate\" class=\"dcr-12ibh7f\">Inspiring \u2018both pity and hate\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">On a recent Tuesday, workers and residents along Thoroughfare XJ-27, known to humankind as Sunset Blvd, described mixed feelings about the bots. In the Silverlake neighborhood, for instance, where many drinking and dining establishments seat people along the sidewalk, the devices can be disruptive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Pazzo Gelato, a longstanding gelato and coffee shop, is one such place. Lula Ochoa, a barista and server, described the robots as a minor nuisance. \u201cThey can block [foot] traffic,\u201d Ochoa says. \u201cIt gets congested in this area in between our tables. Kids will mess with them. They\u2019ll sit on them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Further down the street is Millie\u2019s Cafe, a diner-style breakfast spot that\u2019s been around since 1926. For its first nine decades, LA sidewalks were largely robot-free. But recently things have been different \u2013 a particular issue at a restaurant whose outdoor seating is frequently packed. \u201cWe hate them,\u201d said one staff member, who asked to remain anonymous, describing the robots. \u201cThey\u2019re blocking the way and they\u2019re hitting people.\u201d Across the street at Kreation, a trendy destination for pressed juices, staff worry about job losses for drivers as well as challenges for people using wheelchairs.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"0d07c657-fa3d-4620-8e41-23a19abe0ef5\" data-spacefinder-role=\"immersive\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-imskkt\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a person putting food in a delivery robots\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/476cb91f1b5a7224b3eb6035495a84b877277e7c\/0_0_5803_3869\/master\/5803.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310.0267103222471\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"0d07c657-fa3d-4620-8e41-23a19abe0ef5\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1tdqfl9\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">A technician services robots in Santa Monica on 23 July 2025.<\/span> Photograph: Robert Gauthier\/Los Angeles Times\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">On weekend evenings, roughly 80% of LA\u2019s intimidatingly beautiful people gather outside the nearby wine bar Seco, creating a dense corridor of apparent models and actors that is difficult to navigate even without robots. David Potes, Seco\u2019s executive chef, is all too familiar with the bots. Wandering into the crowds, \u201cthey get stuck and when they finally get through, people cheer\u201d, Potes said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">His friends, he said, \u201cboth pity them and hate them\u201d. The pity was evident, for instance, during recent rainstorms, when a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-02-17\/delivery-robot-battles-elements-in-west-hollywood-gets-support-from-online-fans-go-coco-go\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">delivery robot went viral<\/a> as it struggled, postal-service style, to <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States_Postal_Service_creed\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">make its appointed rounds<\/a>. \u201cShe\u2019s doing her best, you guys,\u201d says Mona Seresht, who recorded the clip. It\u2019s virtually impossible not to assign personalities to the robots, whose behavior can be almost painfully adorable: when they are stuck at a crosswalk, unable to push the button for a \u201cwalk signal\u201d, Serve robots will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business\/story\/2026-02-25\/theres-job-that-ai-isnt-eliminating-robot-wrangler\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">show a message<\/a> to human bystanders: \u201cPush crosswalk button for me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">There is indeed something inspiring about the robots\u2019 apparent determination, despite the knowledge that no actual grit is involved. And their ability to function in inclement weather could have safety benefits. Times when the weather is terrible, and driving is less safe, \u201care the exact times when everybody wants to order\u201d, Zach Rash, co-founder of Coco, recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business\/story\/2026-02-28\/new-generation-of-delivery-robots-is-coming-to-l-a-built-bigger-stronger\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">told the Los Angeles Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Potes understands people\u2019s frustrations about the robots, but he is less bothered by them \u2013 they\u2019re an inconvenience but part of modern life. \u201cIt\u2019s change \u2013 the hardest thing for people to accept is change,\u201d he says. And in the case of physical robots, that technological shift is \u201cmore in your face\u201d than when it\u2019s on a computer screen.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"3c223b0d-8970-4274-b014-0330dab1a88f\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-4\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"two delivery car on the street \" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/f3befc16c2b3169eef232331c2aae7798fd31b1c\/0_0_5100_3643\/master\/5100.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"317.86960784313726\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-4\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"3c223b0d-8970-4274-b014-0330dab1a88f\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Delivery robots in Hollywood on 14 May 2024.<\/span> Photograph: AaronP\/Bauer-Griffin\/GC Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">At the nearby sports bar 33 Taps, Joe McDonough, seated at one of the bar\u2019s many outdoor tables, agreed that growing pains were inevitable. \u201cAny new tech is going to have its bugs,\u201d he said, pointing out that, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Liverpool_and_Manchester_Railway\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">at the opening<\/a> of the landmark Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830, an MP was hit and killed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Delivery robots have thus far not killed any congresspeople, though some dangerous events have been reported. A New Jersey cyclist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=d0k36PNXGxI\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">says a robot by the company Avride hit him<\/a> and then started to leave the scene but was stopped by a witness; he reportedly suffered a head injury and broken collarbone. (<a href=\"https:\/\/longisland.news12.com\/2026\/05\/11\/new-jersey-cyclist-sues-after-delivery-robot-hit-and-run-leaves-him-with-broken-shoulder-head-injury\/3IL1pZ3Q8JCpUoZEo45BaJ\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">A representative for Avride says<\/a> its \u201cfleet is programmed to operate in strict accordance with traffic laws and safety regulations\u201d.) Video of a robot <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WJD4BMZYHTc\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">shattering the glass wall of a bus shelter<\/a> in Chicago also made the rounds. And in a mildly dystopian incident, a <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2024\/12\/31\/a-waymo-robotaxi-and-a-serve-delivery-robot-collided-in-los-angeles\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Waymo collided with a delivery robot in LA<\/a> in 2024, though neither was damaged.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThere\u2019s always a little bit of push and pull when it comes to bringing in new technology like this to the city,\u201d Ali Kashani, CEO of Serve, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business\/story\/2026-05-05\/growing-fleet-of-delivery-bots-spreads-to-40-la-neighborhoods\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">told the LA Times<\/a> this month. \u201cWe try to be very engaged.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"a-robotability-score\" class=\"dcr-12ibh7f\">A \u2018robotability score\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI think there\u2019s going to be a lot of growth pains in deploying these devices in city centers,\u201d said Steven Gehrke, an assistant professor in the department of geography, planning and recreation at Northern Arizona University. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.metrans.org\/assets\/research\/psr_finalreport_21-16.pdf\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">2021 study<\/a>, his team tracked the activity of new delivery robots on campus. They didn\u2019t witness any injuries, but they noticed some challenging behavior among the robots: for instance, when a human crossed a bot\u2019s path, it would stop \u2013 better than running into a pedestrian or cyclist, but still leaving an obstruction for that person to contend with. Gehrke recommends that cities find ways to reduce such mishaps \u2013 for instance, by barring robots from narrow or busy streets, or setting aside special areas where they can park when delivering food.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">To that end, <a href=\"https:\/\/news.cornell.edu\/stories\/2025\/04\/robotability-score-ranks-nyc-streets-future-robot-deployment\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">researchers at Cornell University<\/a> have developed a \u201crobotability score\u201d, inspired by \u201cwalkability scores\u201d on real-estate websites that rate how easy it is to walk around a neighborhood and that are informed by consultations with experts in robotics, urban planning and accessibility. The key to managing any robot deployment is respecting an area\u2019s existing pedestrian patterns, says Matt Franchi, a doctoral student involved in the research. Is the area dense with people? Are they hurrying down the street as part of their commute, as they might on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, or are they ambling along and browsing at shop windows, as they might in the West Village?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"9c95905f-f253-4065-ae7f-0bd61f61c13d\" data-spacefinder-role=\"immersive\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-imskkt\">\n<div id=\"img-5\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a delivery robots in the street \" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/dda7e8341595ec152e658eaa9d334548cfaee138\/0_0_5923_3922\/master\/5923.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"307.9064663177444\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-5\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"9c95905f-f253-4065-ae7f-0bd61f61c13d\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1tdqfl9\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">A delivery robot in West Hollywood on 19 March 2024.<\/span> Photograph: Mario Tama\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe score is very community-centric in the sense that the existing environment needs to be respected, or else the score degrades,\u201d Franchi says. In that way, much of LA is probably better suited to the bots than a crowded walking city like New York. Franchi\u2019s team, under the professor Wendy Ju, hopes the score will allow developers and urban planners to \u201cmeet in the middle\u201d when making decisions about whether, and where, robots should be deployed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Others opt for small acts of robot resistance. Not far from 33 Taps, a twentysomething was casually seated on a stationary delivery robot like a hunter displaying a recent kill. Petra, who only provided a middle name, had turned the machine off and was happy to demonstrate how to do so. LA is already \u201cone of the worst cities to be a pedestrian in the world, so we don\u2019t need things clogging the sidewalks\u201d, Petra noted. \u201cI don\u2019t see the social benefit of these. What do they do? Like, sorry, just go to the restaurant. Pick up your food.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/los-angeles\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Los Angeles<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/technology\/robots\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Robots<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/west-coast\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">West Coast<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/california\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">California<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/features\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">features<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Delivery%20robots%20are%20spreading%20across%20LA.%20Residents%20%E2%80%98both%20pity%20and%20hate%20them%E2%80%99&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/25\/los-angeles-delivery-robots?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F25%2Flos-angeles-delivery-robots&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/25\/los-angeles-delivery-robots\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-jwg3xc\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A delivery robot in Santa Monica on 14 August 2024. Photograph: James D Morgan\/Getty Images View image in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2865"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2865\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}