Does That Robot Have a Visa?

Agricultural and 'service' work have, so far, largely escaped automation. But what if 'cybraceros' could replace traditional braceros? Remote Labor Systems (RLS), a project of media artist Alex Rivera, is a mock company that satirically combines the utopian promise of telepresence and robotics with US/Mexican border politics. Referencing Ken Goldberg's 'Telegarden' and real robotics companies like iRobot, RLS creates a sci-fi resolution to the conflict between the desire for cheap labor/goods and xenophobic fears. Much like the projects of the Yes Men, RLS also becomes a media performance with unsuspecting participants, most recently the business section of La Opini