Humanoid robots are closer to flying cars than ChatGPT, expert says after testing

Tech journalist James Vincent recently did what most of us haven't; he met multiple humanoid robots and tested their actual capabilities. His conclusion after hands-on testing and extensive research: the hype significantly outpaces reality.

In a recent episode of the Today, Explained hosted by Sean Rameswaram, Vincent shared he encountered robots from leading American manufacturers including Apptronik and Agility Robotics while exploring whether humanoid robots could truly deliver the revolution promised by companies such as Tesla.

He even threw a prototype that cost tens of thousands of dollars, observing how it stumbled back before regaining balance in a moment he calls "uncanny" for its eerily humanlike balancing ability.

"If a chatbot gets something wrong when you're asking it to do research, that's not a big deal," Vincent explained. "If a robot gets something wrong when cleaning your dishes and breaks one in every 10 cups, you won't be happy."

The strategy adopted by the USA involves luxury home robots, which can be used to market to high-end customers for butlers that can help in carrying out tasks such as dishwashing and laundry. The Chinese strategy addresses issues of an aging population with over 30% of the total number being above 60 years by 2040. Moreover, China has the capability of producing in large numbers.

Vincent lands firmly on the "flying cars" side of technological prediction rather than the "ChatGPT revolution" camp. Legitimate capabilities advances exist robots can perform warehouse and manufacturing tasks but near-term predictions remain unfounded.

"In the next five years, in the next three years, I really doubt it," Vincent said of home robot availability.