AT first I thought it was a joke - then I realised that it was probably just me failing to keep up with headspinning advances in technology.

I discovered that Amazon is seriously looking at using unmanned aircraft - drones - to deliver packages.

Now I hear that Google is developing humanoid robots that might in future be sophisticated enough to deliver goods to our homes.

A quick check confirmed that I wasn't reading about these supposed developments on April 1 - so this can be chalked up as yet another development designed to take human interaction out of a regular, everyday event.

The prospect of thousands of delivery drones buzzing about in the lower skies, occasionally malfunctioning and dropping discount copies of Adele albums or the latest version of Grand Theft Auto on our heads, is depressing enough.

But if the alternative is to be greeted at one's front door by a robot manhandling your new fridge - that is even worse.

Still, the use of drones for purposes other than killing unarmed civilians is only to be encouraged, so I'm prepared to put up with it.