Isaac Asimov, who may well be the greatest science fiction writer in history and whose fiction and non-fiction work I still look on with awe and astonishment, foresaw a lot of the future world that is now the present. He may have been one of the very few science fiction authors who foresaw the rise of the internet, although the "Multivac" computer system that he wrote of in several stories and novels was one giant computer to which everyone had a terminal, rather than billions of computers connected in a vast, chaotic, and shall we say, worldwide web.
Dr. Asimov foresaw artificial intelligence, and he foresaw, yes, robots. His "Robot" series of novels is required reading for sci-fi fans, as are the interconnected "Empire" and "Foundation" books. In that vast, sweeping universe Dr. Asimov created, the one overarching figure, the one that tied everything together, who was humankind's guide and protector throughout the thousands upon thousands of years that the epic spanned, was a robot governed by an advanced AI: R. Daneel Olivaw.
We aren't quite to that point in the human story yet. But robots are showing up in more and more applications, industrial and personal, which present some interesting opportunities and challenges to our way of life. Maya Cakmak, professor at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington, has some thoughts on what those might look like.
I’ve been teaching robotics at the University of Washington for more than a decade. Every class begins with “robotics news of the week.” For years, humanoid robots appeared only occasionally—usually in the form of viral clips of the Boston Dynamics Atlas doing parkour or RoboCup humanoid league bloopers that served more as comic relief than serious news.
But over the past few years, things have shifted. Each week brings another humanoid demo, each flashier than the last, as companies race to showcase new capabilities. And behind those slick videos lies a flood of venture capital. Humanoid robotics has become a billion-dollar frenzy.
Robotics companies are drawing serious attention from investors. Billions of dollars are being sunk into this idea:
The scale of investment is astonishing. Just a year ago, Figure AI’s $2.6 billion valuation seemed extraordinary—until its latest funding round catapulted it to $39.5 billion. Investors large and small are rushing in, and tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, OpenAI, and NVIDIA are scrambling to get a foothold for fear of missing out. Tesla is pouring resources into its Optimus robot, while China has committed more than $10 billion in government funding to drive down costs and seize market dominance. Goldman Sachs now projects the global humanoid market could reach $38 billion by 2035.
Robots in industry are nothing new. Just look at a video of an automobile assembly line, and you'll see robots in operation. Oh, they aren't humaniform robots; they are purpose-built for a specific task, and making them assume a human shape would just hamper their efficiency. Industrial robots of this type have been in use for decades; my father, who worked for years at the gigantic John Deere Waterloo (Iowa) Tractor Works, saw the first generation of industrial robots in use in the late '70s.
But now, today, we're talking about domestic robots.
A subset of humanoid companies see homes as the next frontier. Figure AI claims humanoids will revolutionize “assisting individuals in the home” and “caring for the elderly.” Its marketing materials show robots handing an apple to a human, making coffee, putting away groceries and dishes, pouring drinks, and watering plants. Tesla’s Optimus similarly branded as an “autonomous assistant, humanoid friend,” is shown folding clothes, cracking eggs, unloading groceries, receiving packages, and even playing family games. The Neo humanoid by 1X Technologies appears targeted solely at in-home use, with the company declaring that “1X bets on the home” and is “building a world where we do more of what we love, while our humanoid companions handle the rest.” Neo is depicted vacuuming, serving tea, wiping windows and tables, and carrying laundry and grocery bags.
How practical would a domestic, all-purpose robot be?
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Well, I have some thoughts.
First, for a domestic robot, unlike industrial robots, a humaniform design may well be the more practical one. A humaniform robot - an android - would be able to step in to handling tasks now carried out by humans, using appliances and equipment designed for humans, moving around in dwellings built for humans. Battery life would be a challenge, but in the home, the android could be programmed to plug itself into a charging dock when not carrying out a task. I don't see that as an insurmountable problem. Oh, and personally, I'd prefer such a machine to be air-gapped; no internet access, no firmware upgrades unless I connect it myself with phone, tablet, or computer. Updates when I choose, not the software company.
Second, a practical android could be of great use to the elderly and disabled. I remember when my parents were elderly and yet still living in their own home. My mother was so crippled by arthritis and a collapsing spinal column that she was bedridden much of the time, and my father, while healthy, was well past 90; although my technophobic father never would have admitted it, an android could have been a big help to them. Frankly, I wouldn't mind having an android to send out for firewood when it's -20 outside.
Third and finally, how capable could an android be if its operating system were an advanced AI? Would such a machine be more able to understand human speech, to follow instructions that may be vague, to understand an elderly or handicapped person (or a Democratic former president) who doesn't always speak clearly? Could such a machine learn? Develop a distinct personality?
At present, these are questions to which I don't seem to be able to find good answers.
But this technology is coming. Robots seem to become more capable by the day. Ditto for AI. This toothpaste isn't going back in the tube, so we may as well find a way to make the best use of it.
