Silicon Valley experts predict that 75% of human work will be done by robots by the end of the century, while it's thought that automation has removed 800,000 UK jobs since 2001. Now, with the release of Sunspring – a short film created by an algorithm – are creative pursuits at risk from AI too?

Whether in entertainment or the news, robots have a history of bad press in the media that hasn’t let up in recent years. In response, a Japanese robotics team has made an artificially intelligent dance teacher, giving people exposure to bots in a situation that’s vulnerable, rather than threatening.

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?

Chatbots have become smart – and they’ll soon be slick to boot. As more advanced bots learn how to be relatable and persuasive, charming AIs could be peddling products as well as any salesperson – ideal, given that studies suggest they're quite socially awkward at present.