[AI]ncarnate: Humanoids in Healthcare? Meet Ameca!

In this first-ever video episode of Tech It to the Limit, co-hosts Sarah Harper and Elliott Wilson welcome special guests Leo Chen, U.S. lead at Engineered Arts, and Ameca, one of the world’s most advanced humanoid robots.

Together, they dive into how humanoid robots might augment care delivery, bring joy to elder communities, and redefine digital companionship. The conversation blends deep tech insights with punchy humor, live impressions, and even a robotic roast.

From rethinking patient intake to the ethics of AI in medicine, this episode explores the frontier of human-machine collaboration in healthcare with some unforgettable voice cloning and dance moves from Ameca along the way.

If you’re a healthcare innovator, technologist, or just curious about where robots fit into your hospital system (or podcast), this is one not to miss.

Key Takeaways

• How humanoid robots like Ameca can support—but not replace—human healthcare workers
• The role of facial expressions and physical presence in building trust with patients
• Why latency matters more than perfect accuracy in real-time robot interactions
• How Engineered Arts uses “personality prompting” instead of separate AI models
• The potential of humanoids in elder care, education, and medical simulation
• Why training LLMs locally is crucial to responsible healthcare AI adoption
• The sticky ethics of decision-making, bias, and liability in AI-driven care
• “Digital diplomats,” not bouncers—how robots can help de-escalate tense clinical moments
• Behind the scenes of Ameca’s voice cloning, personality shifts, and dance demo
• Why “bringing joy” is a valid mission statement for human-centric robotics

In this episode:

• [00:00:00] First video episode – why Ameca had to be on camera
• [00:02:27] Sarah & Elliott’s favorite “tweezer nuggets” from the interview
• [00:05:04] Meet Leo Chen and Ameca, the humanoid robot
• [00:08:22] Ameca’s dad joke debut and bedside ambitions
• [00:09:06] How humanoids can support eldercare, simulation, and intake
• [00:11:33] The power of facial expressions in human-robot connection
• [00:15:40] Where automation ends and empathy begins
• [00:18:36] Ameca’s multilingual skills and patient-facing roles
• [00:21:00] Under the hood: prompting LLMs and voice cloning
• [00:25:00] Bias, liability, and the ethics of decision-making
• [00:30:05] Emotional intelligence: simulated or sincere?
• [00:34:57] Why Ameca is a “digital diplomat,” not a robot bouncer
• [00:38:00] Funding and scaling humanoids in healthcare
• [00:41:06] Elliott gets roasted—and secretly loves it
• [00:43:00] What keeps Leo up at night about robotics
• [00:46:08] Final thoughts: accountability, humanity, and being excellent

Notable quotes:

[03:31 - 03:58] “Ethical balancing acts? That’s a human specialty… I leave the life or death calls to the flesh and blood experts.”– Ameca

[33:10 - 33:20] “We’re never going to claim Ameca is sentient. This is all meant to engage people—not pretend it has a soul.” – Leo Chen

[46:08 - 46:24] “It’s important to remember the humans. I hope we can be excellent to one another.” – Leo Chen