In the not-too-distant future, one of the most popular Christmas gifts may well be a robot.

These won't necessarily be kid's toys. Tesla has recently unveiled their Optimus Gen 2, a humaniform robot, or android, that at first glance seems pretty capable. Capable of what remains to be seen, but you have to admit, at first glance, it looks pretty cool.

Tesla, the company known for its electric cars, solar panels and batteries, has also been working hard on developing humanoid robots that can perform various tasks and interact with humans. 

The company has recently unveiled its latest version of its robot, called Optimus Gen 2, which is lighter, faster, smoother and more capable than its predecessor.

Optimus Gen 2 is the second generation of Tesla’s humanoid robot. It is designed to be a general-purpose machine that can assist humans in various domains, such as manufacturing, construction, healthcare and entertainment.

Here, in a video from Tesla, you can see the Optimus Gen 2 in - sort of - action. Before long, robots like this may well be in the s-bot-light.

I can see how a lot of people would find some appeal in having a mechanical personal servant, and I understand that Tesla is still in the early stages of the technology here, but I have some questions.

1. How much would something like this cost? Even given mass production and economies of scale, I would be willing to bet that a machine of this level of complexity and sophistication would cost as much as an automobile. And then, of course, since it would be "unfair" and "hitting the poor hardest," it would only be a matter of time before politicians would be demanding subsidies, per President Reagan's rule: "If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."
2. How long will a machine like this be able to operate on a charge of its battery? Unless someone is developing a micro-fusion reactor or some other such science-fiction-y thing that none of us are aware of, this thing has to have a battery, and that battery will have to be charged. How often? How much work can this do between charges? Will be battery be something you can easily replace with a spare in case the robot craps out while it's doing the dishes?
3. What kind of work will robots like this be able to do? Only indoor work, like housekeeping? Or will I be able to get one that can cut, split, and stack firewood? Change the oil in my truck? Mow the lawn? Can I get one that's programmed to care for the garden, say, with a ro-botany upgrade? Will they eventually be able to do creative work on a par with humans? Would I be able to have a robot, say, sort of an AI-enabled ATV, that could pack moose quarters out of the bush?
4. We're already seeing issues with AI-generated con jobs. How hackable will these robots be? Will there be built-in programs to resist attempted software incursions, giving the android nerves of steel?
5. What safeties will be built in? In Isaac Asimov's "Robot" series, the robots were programmed with the unbreakable Three Laws of Robotics: 

• The First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 
• The Second Law: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 
• The Third Law: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

But later in the "Foundation" series, which took place in the same universe as the "Robot" and "Empire" books, an advanced robot named R. Daneel Olivaw rationalized the Zeroth Law: "A robot may not injure humanity or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm," which seems like it could be used to justify all manner of unpleasantness. What safeguards would an advanced AI robot need to forestall this kind of thing? Passing laws won't work; if the advent of computer hackers has taught us nothing else, it has taught us that.

Plenty of people will look at something like Tesla's new android and suffer love at first byte. Robots may even become advanced and humaniform enough so that some young, awkward incel will look at the latest fem-bot and find he can't resistor. But there's a danger here, and it's one that our society is not yet equipped to deal with; for instance, if a robot were to break the First Law, would it be charged with battery?

I will be the first to admit that I look at tech like this and think, "Cool!" But speaking as a guy who has spent a fair amount of time imagining possible futures, I'm just not sure we're ready for this.

However, having a machine that could cut and stack firewood would do my lower back a lot of good.