Creepy revolution?

New AI butler for the home causes a stir

(Bild: Screenshot kameraOne)

The dream of having your own household robot could soon become a reality - but not without a certain amount of unease: the Norwegian-Californian company 1X has unveiled Neo Gamma, a humanoid robot designed to take over everyday household tasks. 

Neo Gamma is the successor to the Beta model and has improved AI functions as well as an even more human-like way of moving. The special feature: The robot is covered in a so-called "KnitSuit" - a flexible fabric suit designed to make its movements appear smoother.

But while this design trick is intended to give Neo Gamma a friendly touch, its black, eyeless face panel creates a rather sinister effect.

The two-legged humanoid with uncannily human-like movements is set to move into households - but whether you really want such a figure in your own four walls is probably a question of taste.(Bild: Screenshot kameraOne)

"Everyone will have our helper at home"
 The company 1X, which is financially supported by OpenAI and others, is currently testing Neo Gamma in selected households. CEO Bernt Børnich explained: "There is a not-too-distant future in which we will all have our own robot helper at home." The aim is to integrate Neo Gamma into people's everyday lives as quickly as possible.

However, the project is still at an early stage. 1X speaks of a first step and at the same time warns that a lot of work is still needed before a commercial market launch is possible.

Will robots really soon be ready for mass production?
1X is not the only company working on a humanoid robot for the home. Tesla is also developing a similar model with Optimus, while the company Figure has presented an AI-controlled robot that can even communicate thanks to OpenAI's language model.

However, despite high levels of investment, the question remains as to whether such robots will actually become suitable for mass production in the near future - or whether the household helper of the future will remain human.