The emergence of artificial intelligence has sparked anxieties about technology’s impact on the human workforce. Fears that human labor will become obsolete and be replaced by computers are mounting as companies increasingly treat employees as expendable in pursuit of higher profits.
This shift now includes tasks that robots can perform, such as food deliveries—a development that led to the arrest of a woman staging a spontaneous protest on the streets of Philadelphia.
Carolyn Marvin, a 78-year-old resident and former communications professor at the University of Pennsylvania, has made it her practice to protest against “corporations that displace human delivery workers in order to enrich their own bottom line.” Last week’s incident was the first time police became involved.
Officers approached Marvin after she had been protesting for “quite a long time,” she said. They asked her to step aside and allow the robot to complete its delivery. When she repeatedly refused, officers arrested her for disorderly conduct.
The protest against Uber Eats robots continues
Martin has long been protesting the arrival of Uber Eats delivery robots by blocking their way along the streets of Philadelphia. “I have no regrets. These things are taking people’s jobs,” she stated.
Speaking to Philly Voice, Marvin plans to keep blocking Uber Eats robots and chatting with curious passersby who ask what she’s doing. “It allows me to talk to people about what’s going on,” she said. “It’s always very interesting conversations that we have, and I think it’s good to have those kinds of conversations in public space.”
Marvin explained that her advocacy has sparked polarizing reactions. Some people are very supportive, she said, while others view her protest as unfair to customers who paid for delivery. She says if they’re concerned about money, they should also worry about the impact robots have on delivery workers.
A.I. is the latest advancement in a long history of technologies that have threatened people’s livelihoods. It is now being widely used to advance robotics, resulting in the rise of roaming machines that handle deliveries for restaurants and apps, especially in communities where convenience is prioritized over venturing out in person. Uber is just another company that has launched delivery robots.
Earlier this year, Philadelphia joined nearly a dozen other cities where delivery robots fulfilled some Uber Eats orders in March. However, the robots have caused issues elsewhere, including one that damaged a bus stop in Chicago and another that rolled through an active crime scene in Los Angeles. Uber declined to comment.
Published: Oct 19, 2026 09:45 am