The Robot Priest

[Wave]

To me it's the same as having a tape player repeating specific things.

Just a tool.

Accurate. Robots and AI are tools. It's how the tools are used that determine their benevolence (or lack thereof).
Furthermore, media culture plays a major role in how robotics are received and perceived from region to region. Over the last month, I've been working on a proof-of-concept project involving a small, simple robot designed to interface with humans, and about half the people who see the current concept model find it endearing. The others launch into tangents about dystopian futures, robots taking our jobs, etc.

The philosophical aspect of human-robot interactions grows complicated as these interactions develop and increase in frequency. Humans are still adjusting to the integration of automation in daily life, and are still working to find a balance between man and machine.
There is a boundary point at which there is too much machine, and at which man could effectively declare itself obsolete, but the chances of this point being reached may not be that high. It is up to humans to decide whether or not they want to do the work that the robot is doing - and over time, that balance will (hopefully) be established.

Establishing this sense of balance requires responsibility on the part of the engineers, businesses, and individuals who create and implement these devices. It also requires relative media neutrality (that's asking a lot ) on the subject so individuals and businesses can look at automation with facts rather than fear.