True Autonomy Is The Only Way Machines Can Belong To Us 2025
Teleoperated robots offer the illusion of autonomy while requiring human controllers. Actual progress demands local processing, encrypted data ownership and independence.
When 1X Technologies revealed its humanoid robot, Neo, the headlines came fast. A sleek machine backed by OpenAI, marketed as the first home-ready humanoid, and available for preorder at around $20,000.
The idea is simple but staggering: a physical assistant that can clean, carry and learn. Neo is undoubtedly a fascinating step in the right direction, but not the leap forward that we’ve been waiting for. The future isn’t entirely autonomous yet.
Humans are still puppeteering it. When the machine in your home still relies on a person behind a screen, the question is bigger than how smart it is: it’s about whose eyes it’s seeing through and how safe your personal information really is.
That reality becomes even more important when we consider where humanoids could have the most significant effect, like in elder care. Robots like Neo could assist with daily routines, provide companionship or even monitor health for aging populations. In Japan, South Korea and parts of Europe, pilots are already testing this future.
In those contexts, the distinction between assistance and genuine care is crucial. Robots might lift a patient, detect a fall or make small talk, but they don’t understand context, intent or emotion the way people do. They can sense your heartbeat, your movements and even your voice, but they can’t sense you. If that information isn’t fully contained and encrypted within your own personal system, then it’s not truly yours.
The current wave of humanoid projects, from Figure AI’s Figure 02 to Tesla’s Optimus, promises a new industrial era where machines handle labor that’s dull, dirty or dangerous. Neo, however, brings that vision closer to home. It’s about more than productivity: it’s about companionship and assistance.Related: Skynet 1.0, before judgment day
This shift toward consumer use makes questions about trust, capability and readiness impossible to ignore. Once a robot enters your living room, it doesn’t just handle your chores; it witnesses your life. Even when Neo becomes fully autonomous and no longer needs human oversight, what about the data it’s storing as it’s working for you?
In industrial settings, constant monitoring is expected. In a home, especially for someone who relies on daily assistance, the stakes are different. The home is where care, attention an
Source: CoinTelegraph
