This photograph shows humanoid robot Alter-Ego, designed by the Italian Institute of Technology, at the IRCSS Maugeri hospital in Milan on June 12, 2026. A hospital in Milan is trialling a small robot designed to greet and interact with patients, thereby relieving staff of the most repetitive tasks. Ego, standing 1.20 metres tall and equipped with finely articulated arms and hands, as well as expressive eyebrows, can act as a stand-in for a doctor who is not physically present, bring water to a patient or guide them through the corridors for treatment. (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP via Getty Images)