The Future Of Robots: Will AI Finally Deliver On Decades Of Promises?

Welcome to this week’s Deep-Fried Dive with Fry Guy! In these long-form articles, Fry Guy conducts in-depth analyses of cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) developments and developers. Today, Fry Guy dives into the future of AI-powered robots, specifically for personal use. We hope you enjoy!

*Notice: We do not receive any monetary compensation from the people and projects we feature in the Sunday Deep-Fried Dives with Fry Guy. We explore these projects and developers solely to showcase interesting and cutting-edge AI developments and uses.*

Technology is advancing at record rates, but where is my robot butler?

For years, news outlets have promised us a future where robots will revolutionize our lives. From The Miami Herald in 1990 forecasting robot butlers on the horizon, to The Chicago Tribune in 1998 predicting a robot invasion inside our homes, the expectations were set high. Yet, decades later, our experience with home robots mostly involves Roombas spreading pet poop across the living room floor and delivery bots that can’t even recognize curbs or railroad tracks.

With AI hype going off the hook over the last two years, you’d think some AI robot messiah would come down from the heavens and arrive on our doorsteps any day now—one that you could buy at your nearest Walmart or Kroger. You’d think we would have a robot that could find the darn TV remote, or at least one that could cook some French fries in a home kitchen.

So when are the AI robots going to show up and solve all of our problems? Let’s explore.

THE RISE OF ROBOTS

Over the past few years, the tech world has been making substantial breakthroughs in robotics. Elon Musk’s Tesla, for example, is reviving hopes with new AI-powered robots, promising real, useful humanoids before 2026. Musk claims, “Tesla will have genuinely useful humanoid robots in low production for Tesla internal use next year and, hopefully, high production for other companies in 2026.”

While this sounds exciting, it’s important to note that Musk has missed many ambitious deadlines in the past. In 2019, he was “very confident predicting autonomous robotaxis for Tesla next year.” In fact, he predicted one million autonomous Tesla robotaxis on the road by 2020—an optimistic forecast that still hasn’t materialized. So, is 2026 a realistic timeline? Maybe we ought to be a bit cautious.

Although timelines are fuzzy, robots have made significant strides over the past few years as a result of AI implementation. For instance, Tesla’s Optimus robot launched in 2021 and has since gone from a cringeworthy human dressed as a robot into an actual robot that can do household chores like cooking and laundry.

In addition to Tesla’s Optimus robot, Figure AI has been working on a humanoid robot of its own. When Figure AI launched its prototype just a year ago, it could barely walk. Now, Figure 02 is a humanoid robot that can fix cars completely on its own and even has a job at BMW. Boston Dynamics has also been working on Atlas, a robot with flexible limbs that can even do flips!

Although many of these robotic innovations have been aimed at workplace applications, some are emerging for household use as well. For example, 1X Technologies has recently revealed its NEO Beta prototype, an AI-powered humanoid robot which could be deployed in select homes later this year. NEO is designed to handle tasks ranging from basic household chores to assisting individuals with mobility challenges. What sets NEO Beta apart is its use of embodied AI vision, enabling it to understand its surroundings and learn from interactions. This means the robot is able to be trained according to the user’s liking.

Robots are advancing so rapidly that AI and robotics-related activities are projected to make up 26% of the global GDP (gross domestic product) by 2030. This is mostly due to a massive hunger from industrial companies to automate their operations. According to a McKinsey report, industrial companies plan to invest 25% of their capital in automation within the next five years. Needless to say, there is a massive race to develop a robot that surpasses the rest, capturing a significant portion of this exploding market.

THE AI REVOLUTION AND ROBOTS EVERYWHERE

Exhibited by advancements like Optimus, Figure 02, Atlas, and NEO, it’s easy to see that robot technology is moving quicker than ever. This is all because of breakthroughs in visual-based AI learning. In the good old days before ChatGPT and visual-based AI learning, most robots (including self-driving cars) were trained on rules-based technology. This meant computer programmers would have to write thousands—if not hundreds of thousands—of lines of computer code to give a robot its brains. This code would tell the robot exactly what to do in any given scenario.

In the past, if you needed a robot to clean your dishes, most likely your robot would need custom computer code to do that simple task. This code would tell the robot the exact location coordinates of your dishwasher and the precise position of the dishes and plates in your home. If it didn’t have these position points or there was a minor mistake in the code, your plates would be thrown all over the floor. And that’s just half the battle. Rules-based robots need numerous other logical systems programmed into them. For instance, someone needs to program how each finger on the robot’s hand should operate in any given scenario. As you might imagine, that can get complicated really quickly.

The rapid advancements in AI have finally set the stage for robots to leap from sci-fi into reality. Today’s robots are actually able to recognize and learn from their environments, ultimately adapting to changes in their surroundings. This is why robots are able to solve complex issues in factories and homes that are not directly coded into their infrastructure.

“WHEN CAN I BUY MY AI ROBOT?”

Since visual-based machine learning is advancing so quickly, you might be thinking, “When will robots be available to buy?”

As we saw earlier, Elon Musk thinks they will be available for purchase within 2 years. Given his track record, however, we think that 2031 is a more realistic buffer. But just keep in mind, this estimation is primarily for Tesla. It’s worth mentioning that other robotics companies like Boston Dynamics and Figure AI could beat them to the punch. This makes 2031 much more achievable.

The good news about this 2031 timeline is that it’s way better than waiting another 30 years like what was promised from newspapers in the 90’s. However, even if these robotic assistants become available within the next 7 years, these bots will probably come with a high price tag. Estimations say that such humanoid bots could cost between $20,000-$30,000—the cost of a new car.

Although the cost is significant, the technology might be worth it. Imagine a life where your AI butler handles everything from washing dishes to cleaning your bedsheets. Household chores could become a relic of the past, as AI robots take over the mundane tasks we love to hate. Imagine a future where you never have to wash your clothes, clean your house, cook your food, or do errands ever again. You want a margarita while you sit on your couch? Simple, just give your AI butler your order. He’ll do it with a smile and even salt the rim of your drink. And the best part? You don’t have to worry about tipping him either. An Oxford research study backs up this vision, asserting that a significant amount of household chores will be outsourced to AI robots within the coming years.

When these robots become publicly available, people will undoubtedly be chomping at the bit to get them. Elon Musk believes that humanoid robots will become massively popular. Musk has suggested that the demand for general-purpose humanoid robots could exceed 20 billion units, considering both individual and industrial uses. In fact, he envisions a world where there may be more robots than people, with robots outnumbering humans 10-to-1 in some industrial sectors. These machines would run entire factories of other robots, producing goods in an endless loop of automation.

A FINAL WORD OF CAUTION: WILL THEY GO ROGUE?

While the future looks promising, some concerns remain. Could robots turn on their human creators?

Many robotics companies have implemented safety measures to prevent robots from physically dominating us. Some have suggested safety features like power-down switches and limited battery life to prevent robots from going rogue. Another feature often limited in these humanoid robots is their size. For instance, Optimus and NEO are only 5’5” and 125lbs, and Figure 02 and Atlas are only 5’. So if they decide to overtake humanity, they can be physically overcome quite easily. Nevertheless, concerns continue to loom in the background of this excitement. But for better or for worse, concerns tend not to stop innovation—at least they haven’t yet with AI.

So as we edge closer to a future filled with AI robots, the next decade promises a wild ride. Robots will be everywhere, performing jobs no one wants to do, caring for the elderly, and taking over household chores. While you wait for AI butlers to arrive at your local supermarket, start saving up now. The future may be expensive, but it’s coming faster than you might think.