Two-thirds of Americans fear that robots will take over human jobs by 2065 – but there could be a way to harness the efficiency of tech without raising unemployment. Silicon Valley pizzeria Zume is using AI to fine-tune its service, creating a workforce in which humans and robots work in harmony.

Worldwide spending on robotics and related services is predicted to reach $135.4 billion by 2019 – but one thing hindering AI's progress is the 'uncanny valley'. This describes the unsettling feeling one experiences when a robot looks or acts too much like a human.

Since notoriously homogeneous Japan is reluctant to employ trained nurses from foreign countries, robotics engineers are developing elder-care robots instead. The country has to find a way to address its healthcare personnel shortage, but its ageing population is keen to look to tech.

As our lives become more automated, the consumer robotics industry is only set to grow. But something is holding the market back – people find it difficult to trust these machines, especially in their homes and offices. Why do they make us uneasy, and what will convince people to trust robots?