I say they’re bottlenecked on software (or at least, that the right software would be sufficient to unlock widespread robotics). I was chatting with someone about it here. I think human-teleoperated robots are a very relevant point of reference. They exist, and they are not very expensive compared to human salaries (despite currently very low volumes), and they are extremely capable compared to how we think of robots today—e.g. they can fold sheets, move boxes, get around a cluttered environment, etc.
So IF there existed a cheap-to-run AI algorithm that could teleoperate a robot exactly as well as a normal human can teleoperate that same robot (i.e., after the same number of hours of practice, using the same sensors, and deploying the same common-sense), then I think manufacturing (and improving) such robots would immediately become wildly profitable, and there would be billions of them around the world within a few years, even if we (unrealistically) ignore all other consequences of that AI algorithm.
I say they’re bottlenecked on software (or at least, that the right software would be sufficient to unlock widespread robotics). I was chatting with someone about it here. I think human-teleoperated robots are a very relevant point of reference. They exist, and they are not very expensive compared to human salaries (despite currently very low volumes), and they are extremely capable compared to how we think of robots today—e.g. they can fold sheets, move boxes, get around a cluttered environment, etc.
So IF there existed a cheap-to-run AI algorithm that could teleoperate a robot exactly as well as a normal human can teleoperate that same robot (i.e., after the same number of hours of practice, using the same sensors, and deploying the same common-sense), then I think manufacturing (and improving) such robots would immediately become wildly profitable, and there would be billions of them around the world within a few years, even if we (unrealistically) ignore all other consequences of that AI algorithm.