Elon Musk recently said at the World Economic Forum:
“When you have billions of humanoid robots on Earth – and I think there will be – everyone is going to want one. Because who wouldn’t want a robot who could watch over your kids, take care of your pets, and take care of elderly parents?”
Yeah. Sure. Why not build robots to do those tasks, right?
But let’s pause for a second and ask a very basic question: how disconnected from normal life do you have to be to suggest something like this?
If you don’t have time to watch over your kids… if you don’t have time to take care of your parents… then what do you have time for?
And why do you want to save that time?
To do something more meaningful?
What exactly is more meaningful than raising your children?
What is more meaningful than being there for the people who raised you?
Now, let me be clear: these billionaires are many things. Stupid is not one of them.
The Real Problem: Artificial Needs
What actually worries me is the future we’re clearly heading toward.
Just like many things today, massive amounts of money will be spent to create artificial need for these robots.
People already work 9, 10, sometimes 12 hours a day just to survive. And then they’ll be told that buying a $20,000 humanoid robot will make their lives easier.
But what will really happen?
They’ll have to work even more to afford it.
And those robots will sit inside their homes.
Watching everything.
Collecting data.
Learning routines.
If you think privacy is bad now, just wait until there’s a camera-and-microphone-equipped machine walking around your living room.
The Obsession With Humanoid Robots
And honestly… what is this obsession with building humanoid robots?
You can’t have human slaves anymore, so now you want human-like slaves?
Why do they need to look like humans at all?
We’ve already seen miserable demos – like the robot named Neo. And now we’re supposed to believe this time it’ll be different.
It’s the same story every time: flashy demos, vague promises, and zero real value for normal people.
General-Purpose Robots Are a Dead End
Here’s the part that really doesn’t make sense.
Why are we trying to build general-purpose robots that do 20 useless things and one thing decently?
Why not build machines that do one thing – and do it exceptionally well?
This technology is a massive missed opportunity.
Instead of humanoid robots, build specialist robots.
- Build a robot that is world-class at cleaning floors.
- Build a chair or an exoskeleton that gives elderly people actual superpowers.
- Let them walk.
- Let them lift things.
- Let them live independently with dignity.
There are countless opportunities like this.
Specialist robots would be:
- Cheaper
- More reliable
- Easier to build
- Easier to improve
- And actually useful
Automate the Boring Stuff, Not Humanity
People don’t want robots so they can avoid their families.
They want to automate the boring, repetitive, soul-crushing labor – so they can:
- Spend more time on hard problems
- Spend more time being creative
- Spend more time with their loved ones
- Spend more time doing what they actually love
But the industry’s focus is completely backwards.
Instead of automating drudgery, it’s trying to automate creativity.
Instead of freeing up human connection, it’s building machines that replace it.
You’re encouraging humans to spend less time with their loved ones.
That’s not progress.
Nobody Wants This
Nobody wants a $20,000 robot with a long list of gimmicks and one barely-working feature.
Nobody wants a robot to open the door for guests.
They want to welcome them in person.
It’s basic manners.
Maybe that’s the real lesson some tech CEOs need to learn.
Because right now, the AI industry isn’t failing due to lack of intelligence.
It’s failing due to a lack of understanding of what actually matters.
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