Carolyn Marvin Halts 1 Delivery Robot in Philadelphia Protest as 78-Year-Old Fights Sidewalk Automation
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Nov 7
Carolyn Marvin Halts 1 Delivery Robot in Philadelphia Protest as 78-Year-Old Fights Sidewalk Automation
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Nov 7
Summary
Walnut Street in Philadelphia became the latest protest site when 78-year-old Carolyn Marvin stepped in front of Avride robot 1617 until it stopped and entered hibernation mode.
Marvin says she targets the robots because they take jobs, create hazards for people with mobility issues and occupy public space without public consent.
Her campaign already drew police action: officers recently handcuffed her and issued a disorderly conduct ticket after she refused to move, and she plans to fight the charge in court.
Avride, which runs almost 1,000 delivery robots across more than 25 college campuses and several cities, says it designs the machines to look approachable as sidewalk delivery expands.
The standoffs tap broader skepticism about AI and automation even as Pennsylvania has treated delivery robots as pedestrians since 2020 and companies keep growing their fleets.