A robot is now tattooing people in America. The Austin startup Blackdot just raised seven million dollars to put machines in tattoo shops across the country. Their AI-powered robot is already working at Bang Bang studio in New York City.
This is what happens when Silicon Valley tries to fix things that aren’t broken. For thousands of years, humans have been creating beautiful tattoos by hand. Now some tech bros think a machine can do it better than skilled American artists.
The robot uses cameras and lasers to scan your skin. Then it pokes you with a triple-pointed needle to make tiny dots smaller than human hair. The company says it reduces pain and boosts precision, but since when did getting a tattoo become about comfort?
Real tattoo artists are worried about their jobs. Every time someone uses this machine, the human artist only gets a small royalty payment. That’s not the same as running your own shop and building relationships with customers who trust your artistic vision.
Sure, the technology is impressive. The robot can create detailed grayscale designs on flat parts of your body like arms and legs. But tattooing has always been about more than just putting ink in skin.
Getting a tattoo is supposed to be personal. You sit with an artist who understands your story and creates something meaningful. A robot doesn’t care about your memories or what the design means to your family.
This is just another example of technology trying to replace American workers. First it was factory jobs, then retail, and now even creative fields like tattooing. We’re losing the human touch that makes our work special.
The worst part is that people are actually lining up to get tattooed by a machine. We’ve become so obsessed with efficiency and perfection that we’re forgetting what makes us human. Some traditions should stay in human hands where they belong.
