DoorDash unveiled “Dot” on Tuesday, its new autonomous delivery robot, promising to reshape neighborhood deliveries in Arizona. The announcement online was quickly met with skepticism, ridicule, and even threats of violence.
Some restaurant workers said they won’t participate in the rollout, while critics mocked the idea by recalling America’s history of destroying similar bots in public.
Meet DoorDash’s robot "Dot"
The popular delivery app DoorDash promised in a press release that it will "accelerate local commerce," starting with the cities of Tempe and Mesa, Arizona.
"Reaching speeds of up to 20 mph, Dot is built for neighborhood trips to help local businesses meet growing consumer demand. Its all-electric design is right-sized for local delivery, helping reduce congestion and emissions, and resulting in fewer cars on the road and safer streets," the statement reads.
"Dot is designed for secure, agile item handoffs that integrate seamlessly into merchant operations, while ensuring a smooth, reliable experience for consumers."
In 2024, DoorDash spent over $1 million to keep Seattle's minimum wage law from applying to app delivery drivers.
Combine this with automation hate so fierce that people are calling AI and robots "clankers" as a slur, and you can accurately predict how people are responding to this news.
"DoorDash announces free food distribution program"
As the announcement reached X, users swiftly panned the idea. Many recalled what Americans have done to similar robots found on their streets.
Pro-labor account @f*ckyouiquit predicted that "this is never going to work well here." They included an image depicting the fate of hitchBOT, the Canadian hitchhiking robot, when it reached Philadelphia. It's not pretty.
"POV: The robot pulls into Philadelphia," joked @papaluigi77 with a gif of an iconic moment from Inglourious Basterds.
@rockmeannadeus wrote, "They tried to make this look like a cute tiny European car in an attempt to stop me from hitting one of them with my car. won't work!"
Others simply cannot picture restaurant workers dealing with Dot—especially the workers themselves.
"As a restaurant worker, I can tell you there is no way in hell I'm going outside to load it with food," said @TurtlesongFarm. "Not gonna happen."
Potential customers are going beyond promising avoidance all the way to violence.
"First clanker that tries to deliver me food is getting absolutely wrecked," wrote @CMReischman.
"DoorDash announces free food distribution program," cracked @tatere.
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s newsletter here.
