> Offering folks at burning man autonomous robots that will deliver miniature statues of themselves seems the furthest thing from something that could actually help the world.
That's not the end goal. If you can deliver a tchotchke to someone, you can also deliver a bottle of pills, documents, cellphone batteries, a Raspberry Pi, or small craft items. Remember that lots of places in the 3rd world don't have roads. Lots of places aren't even very passable by foot in parts of the year. Having any kind of infrastructure at all is a win and will enable better healthcare and more economic activity.
What better way to test such a service than to send trivialities to 1st and 0th worlders? No one's going to die if they don't get their statue, and they might even donate to the cause anyhow. Someone might die without their pills, or their business might take a big hit without a part or a battery. Better to practice on the Burners than on people who actually need it.
That's not the end goal. If you can deliver a tchotchke to someone, you can also deliver a bottle of pills, documents, cellphone batteries, a Raspberry Pi, or small craft items. Remember that lots of places in the 3rd world don't have roads. Lots of places aren't even very passable by foot in parts of the year. Having any kind of infrastructure at all is a win and will enable better healthcare and more economic activity.
What better way to test such a service than to send trivialities to 1st and 0th worlders? No one's going to die if they don't get their statue, and they might even donate to the cause anyhow. Someone might die without their pills, or their business might take a big hit without a part or a battery. Better to practice on the Burners than on people who actually need it.