1X Neo is a $20,000 home robot that will learn chores via teleoperation
SMRTR summary
Your new robotic butler comes with an unexpected feature: a human stranger watching through its camera eyes as it tidies your living room.
California robotics company 1X is now accepting pre-orders for NEO, a humanoid robot designed to handle household chores like opening doors, fetching items, and controlling lights. But there's a catch that sounds like something from a sci-fi thriller.
Early adopters paying $20,000 for next year's delivery must agree to let human teleoperators control their robot remotely and peer into their homes through NEO's cameras. The reason? The AI simply isn't smart enough yet to work alone.
"If we don't have your data, we can't make the product better," CEO Bernt Børnich told The Wall Street Journal, acknowledging that much of the work will initially be done by remote human operators.
The company promises privacy controls. Owners can schedule operator sessions, blur people from view, and designate off-limits zones. Still, it's a remarkable trade-off: inviting corporate employees into your most private spaces to teach machines how humans live.
For those wanting a more affordable invasion of privacy, NEO will also be available for $499 monthly.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Engadget.
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