How long until a robot is doing our household chores?

In the realm of technological advancement, a new competitor is emerging on the horizon, one that has the potential to surpass even the mobile phone and automotive industries.

Meet Phoenix, the humanoid robot being developed by Sanctuary AI, a Vancouver-based company. Phoenix promises to possess an effective ability to comprehend our desires, navigate the complexities of the world, and proficiently execute our commands.

Humanoid robots: The next big thing?

"The long-term total addressable market is the biggest one that has ever existed in the history of business and technology — which is the labour market. It's all of the things we want done," BBC quotes Geordie Rose, the CEO of Sanctuary AI, as saying.

However, Rose pragmatically acknowledges that there's still a substantial journey ahead.

While he refrains from pinning down an exact timeframe for when a robot might be folding our laundry or cleaning our bathroom, others within the industry suggest that this reality could be within reach in approximately a decade.

Diverse companies around the globe are vigorously pursuing this technological frontier. Dyson in the UK is channelling investments into AI and robotics geared toward household chores.

Notably, Tesla, under the leadership of Elon Musk, is delving into the field with its Optimus humanoid robot, which Musk believes could hit the market in the near future.

Challenges and opportunities of AI-powered robots

The evolution of artificial intelligence has markedly accelerated the development of humanoid robots. The surge in mainstream AI interest ignited with the introduction of powerful AI models like ChatGPT, sparking rivalries and inflows of AI-related investments.

Robots are difficult to program for practical tasks because they must understand the physical world and how objects interact. Even routine tasks for humans can be challenging for robots.

For instance, Sanctuary AI's Phoenix undertakes the laborious task of packing clothes into plastic bags, a process that involves intricate considerations like the flexibility of bags and their transparency.

Rose acknowledges, "The manipulation of bags is actually very, very hard for robots,". These robots are more like real-life machines than the scary automatons shown in Hollywood.

The future of household chores

Sanctuary AI has developed a system to train Phoenix for specific tasks like bag packing. The process involves recording a task being performed, digitizing the data, and simulating a virtual environment that mimics real-world physics.

This environment facilitates AI training and refining before transitioning to the physical realm.

The road ahead seems to involve a focus on training robots for specialized roles that can benefit businesses, with domestic chores being a more distant prospect. Overcoming challenges like making robots with a sense of touch to gauge pressure application is a significant hurdle.

In the grand narrative of technological progress, the convergence of AI and robotics is unfolding in unprecedented ways, offering a glimpse of a future where robots become invaluable allies, albeit after overcoming considerable hurdles.