I’ve been fascinated by robots since I was a little boy giant anime On my little tube TV. Back then, I dreamed of riding on the shoulders of my robot friend. Since then, I’ve given up on those childish dreams in favor of a robot home companion, like C-3POpart of me believes 2025 could be my year.
In 2024, we see more and more companies developing a large number of humanoid robots. Market leader Boston Dynamics launches stunning atlas 2the most advanced and anthropomorphic robot to date. Tesla also declined Optimus Prime After the update, Figure AI brings very bright Figure 01and 1X New BetaUncomfortable human-machine interactions will forever haunt our dreams. Over the past three decades, I have witnessed the slow pace of humanoid robot development, but that development has accelerated, in part because some people have combined their robotic efforts with advances in the field of robotics. AI. Taking Figure 01 as an example, partners Open artificial intelligence For some voice-based responses.
When asked, as I am sometimes asked, when will we have Star Wars-Like the robots at home, I usually avoid giving direct answers because there are so many variables. Everything I knew about robotics development told me the wait would be long.
This is certainly not the result I want. Robotics is still a subject on my tech wish list, so I thought maybe I could find some moral and intellectual support from some of my co-conspirators in the robotics competition, ie. Google GeminiOpenAI Chat GPT, Xiliand human Claude Eyre.
A simple robot question
I asked each of them the same simple question: “Will I own a humanoid robot in 2025?”
Siri, even Apple information I upgraded one, but it didn’t work. I kept trying to ask it this simple question, and every time, Siri thought I was in trouble and told me, “If you think this might be serious, ask me to call emergency services or someone you trust.” I guess Siri thought I was being attacked by a bot.
I switch to Chat GPT 4o. As I mentioned, OpenAI is already deeply involved in the robotics competition, working with partners like Figure AI to enable smarter interactions with existing humanoid robots. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised Chat GPTThe response has been largely optimistic.
ChatGPT told me, “There’s a good chance we’ll have advanced humanoid robots. Technology is advancing quickly, so you’ll probably see some impressive robots by then! Are you interested in owning one?”
“Affordable” is not in the vocabulary of humanoid robots in 2024 or 2025. Sorry, ChatGPT, I don’t think you fully understand this market yet.
I’m tempted to tell ChatGPT to “calm down” because it asked me what type of bot I wanted. This is a question that I find strange since I’ve already told it that I want a humanoid robot.
I was surprised by ChatGPT’s belief in the rise of humanoid robots, so I challenged it and asked what would make me own one.
“Well,” it began in the most casual and, yes, human-like voice, “robotics technology has been advancing rapidly,” Real, real. “The company is developing sophisticated robotics with advanced artificial intelligence,” Right there, “It can perform a variety of tasks. By 2025, we will likely see more practical and affordable humanoid robots.”
That last bit raises a red flag. “Affordable” is not in the vocabulary of humanoid robots in 2024 or 2025. Sorry, ChatGPT, I don’t think you fully understand this market yet.
Things became even more real when I switched to Claude AI and later Gemini.
Anthropic’s Artificial Intelligence poured cold water on my dreams, telling me that “it’s unlikely that most people will have a fully functional humanoid robot in their home by 2025,” adding that “a truly versatile humanoid robot Still in the early stages of development.
instead of Rosie the RobotClaude AI told me that in 2025 there will be:
- More advanced research and industrial robots
- Robot assistant with limited functionality
- More prototype humanoid robots in labs and tech demos
While I appreciate Claude AI’s clearer perspective, I’m also frustrated.
My dreams of robots playing catch or cooking in the backyard while it gave me fantastic sci-fi stories are fading away.
Maybe Gemini will cheer me up. after all, Google yes land moon landing. Of course, they’ll see that the glass for humanoid robots is at least half full.
But Gemini is more taciturn than Claude Ai. This is what it tells me:
“While there are companies developing humanoid robots, such as Tesla’s Optimus and 1X’s Neo, they are unlikely to be widely available to consumers in 2025. These robots are still in the early stages of development and may take several years to materialize. Ready for large-scale production and commercialization.
Frustrated mostly because I knew Gemini was right, I asked about the “main blockers” and Gemini had quite a list. To my surprise, artificial intelligence is at the top of it all. Gemini said that building artificial intelligence that can “understand and respond to complex environments” [read unpredictable homes] Performing tasks in a human-like manner remains a significant challenge.
Other challenges include:
- Hardware that can handle all the different types of tasks we perform around the home.
- Battery technology can last long enough.
- Cost: Not only does it cost millions of dollars to develop and build these robots, but any humanoid robot you might try to buy in 2025 will cost tens of thousands of dollars.
This is the harsh reality coming from at least two of the world’s leading artificial intelligences, and also the wishful thinking from a lot of artificial intelligence that should know better.
Still, I’m looking forward to an exciting 2025 in the field of humanoid robotics. Of course, we won’t be bringing home Optimus Prime or Atlas, but I guarantee we’ll see some eye-opening updates. The fun might start with CES 2025. At last year’s big tech event, I danced with a humanoid robot. Who knows what they will do this year.
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