Woman arrested for blocking delivery robot because it’s ‘taking jobs’ from humans

A woman in Philadelphia has been arrested after repeatedly standing in front of an Uber delivery robot to protest against the technology replacing human workers.

Autonomous delivery robots are becoming an increasingly common sight on city streets, as they’re being used by the likes of Amazon and Uber to deliver goods to customers. They’ve also sparked some concerns about the future of jobs traditionally carried out by people.

One woman made her feelings clear and took matters into her own hands by deliberately obstructing a robot while it was making a delivery in Center City.

According to 6abc Action News, officers were called following reports of a disturbance when Carolyn Marvin repeatedly stepped into an Uber delivery robot’s path and refused several instructions to move aside.

She was subsequently arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

Woman arrested after refusing to let delivery robot pass

Marvin later said that her actions were part of an ongoing protest against robots being used to take the roles of humans.

“I know they’re taking the jobs of human delivery workers and so, I have been protesting them whenever I saw them by standing in front of them and preventing them from going forward,” she explained to 6abc Action News.

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It wasn’t her first encounter with the machines, either. Marvin said she had previously confronted delivery robots when she saw them out in public, including during a similar incident back in September.

“I think it’s my First Amendment right to publicly demonstrate on a sidewalk to protest against delivery robots,” she told Action News.

Despite her arrest, Marvin has no intention of stopping, as she hopes the attention surrounding her arrest will encourage a wider discussion about artificial intelligence and the impact of delivery robots on employment.