I think that the proliferation of over-anthropomorphized robotic characters in popular media has both led us to overestimate the capabilities of current robotics and to endow automation with too much, urm, “being-ness”.

Definitely agree with the first point (although it swings both ways, people often think AI is dead-end research).

Disagree with the second. The media is not to blame for feelings towards lifelike beings, but biology.

Thanks for the hat-tip :)