Kiwibots have taken the University of Maine by storm ever since their arrival in the fall of 2023. You see them rolling around campus at almost all hours of day, delivering food to hungry students. Kiwibots, by nature of their service and purpose, have taken away social aspects of eating on campus. Furthermore, the phenomenon and fandom surrounding their existence leads to serious questions about the empathy we have for each other.
Earlier this month, a watermain broke right in the center of campus, causing construction in a heavily-trafficked Kiwibot path. A dump truck rolled over a Kiwibot, causing the robot to burst into flames, sending thick, black smoke into the air.
I understand that people are not genuinely remorseful over the untimely explosion of this Kiwibot, but the incident grasped a great deal of attention. Our campus has shown that they have the capacity for empathy and have chosen to spend it on a robot. This semester we had an auxiliary services staff member pass away on the job. This university has shown more respect and remorse for a Kiwibot than a human employee. The official UMaine Instagram account shared pictures of the Kiwibot memorial. This, unfortunately, has become normal.
Meanwhile, people are using Kiwibots so that they do not have to go to the dining halls anymore. This is fine from time to time. Even I have even used the Kiwibots when I was sick. However, Wells pub is empty most nights. A bar and pub, that is intended to promote socialization and chance encounters, is mostly utilized as a space to fulfill Kiwibot orders.
In defense of the Kiwibots, students told Sodexo that they wanted Wells to have a traditional dining hall format in some capacity, and we were ignored. Maybe Wells was never destined to be a space for socialization.
If students are opting out of socializing with their peers at meal time, then what else are they opting out of? Are students who are not willing to go eat in the dining halls, willing to walk across campus to attend a club or concert? There is no universe where maximizing the number of sad meals you eat alone in your room allows you to build relationships on this campus. This year, that reality is more acceptable than ever. Now, any student with an unlimited meal plan can use Kiwibot services for free. Unlimited meal plans are primarily held by first-year students. This decision is an economic equalizer, but also opened the floodgates for sad and secluded students to isolate themselves in a small dorm room.
It is fun to see a Kiwibot roll across campus. I even chuckle when one beeps at me and flashes heart eyes. However, the Kiwibots in their current form limit natural interaction with other students, and expose them to the empathy we allocate to inanimate objects over real members of our community.
