But like, IS it really that hard? Money is easy enough to provide, presuming we can run this machine at a loss (for now) and humans can fill in the last-mile. Even box-opening can be automated soon. I think it's within reach of a sufficiently motivated and funded grad student. Certainly within the reach of Mr Bezos.
Not arguing with that. My point is that the gap between humans helping it and it being fully autonomous is much bigger than you would think. Even if you design a system with a bunch of robotic arms and other equipment, the AI then has to be able to replicate and install somewhere else that entire set up using only what it currently has or can assemble with its current facilities. That’s a really big challenge!
