Here’s a rundown of the AI-powered humanoid robots that tech companies want to be your new roommates

The biggest tech companies in the world are convinced that humanoid robots are the next big thing. 

Elon Musk says Tesla’s yet to be released Optimus humanoid robot could boost the company’s valuation to $25 trillion. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang is pitching hardware and software for robots, fawning over remote-controlled droids with childish delight during his keynote speeches. And Meta is reportedly hard at work building a “Metabot” in its new AI lab. Even the Trump administration is going “all in” on boosting the US robotics industry. 

Reading these signs, it might seem like a futuristic world full of bipedal robots walking around in our homes and workplaces is right around the corner. But while robots of various sizes and shapes have long been found in warehouses and factories, they haven’t really started to show up in our homes or out in the world. 

Last week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the expo was filled with a wild variety of robots. Impressive demos showed nimble bots throwing roundhouse kicks, pouring tea, and playing ping-pong.  

But much of what we have seen are carefully controlled demos and human-operated gimmicks. It seems this new category of consumer tech is still a long way off. The fast-moving developments in AI are showing promise for these robots’ brains, but few are entirely autonomous. Not only is the technology still very much under development, but the demand for an expensive robotic butler seems like a Silicon Valley dream that is yet to materialize. 

Still, that hasn’t stopped investors from pouring cash into hot robotics startups. In 2024, Figure AI raised $675 million with investments from Nvidia, Microsoft, and OpenAI, according to The Information, and 1X Technologies raised $100 million. Last year, Agility Robotics raised $400 million.  

We took a look at some of the more interesting humanoid robots in the works and what tasks they are designed for.

Tesla: Optimus

With EV sales lagging, Musk is turning his attention to Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot as its future salvation. Musk has said he expects the bipedal bot to cost around $20,000, and recently boasted that in three years Optimus will perform surgery better than the best human surgeons — that is, if they can just get the hands right. Tesla scrapped its ambitious plans to build 10,000 Optimus bots in 2025.

Despite the hardware challenges — and the more difficult problem of autonomy — Musk is still bullish on Optimus. He said on Tesla’s last earnings call that he would be “shocked” if the company wasn’t making 100,000 Optimus robots per month within five years. Other than dancing, we’ve seen teleoperated Optimus bots serve drinks and popcorn and do some slow, light housecleaning tasks in a lab.

Boston Dynamics: Atlas

Boston Dynamics has been cranking out impressive videos of its dog- and human-shaped robots improving their agility for 16 years. In 2009, the terrifying headless “Big Dog” struggled to regain its balance as its makers shoved and kicked it around an icy parking lot. Today, the company is starting production on its Atlas humanoid robot, which makes fluid maneuvers as it twists and turns through various industrial tasks.

Starting off as an MIT spin-off, the company has had several different owners over the years, from Google’s “Google X” to SoftBank. It most recently was purchased by Hyundai Motor Group in 2021. Atlas bots will be deployed in Hyundai factories by 2028, when they aim to be manufacturing 30,000 Atlas bots per year.   

Figure: Figure 03

Figure has attracted some of the biggest names in tech as investors, like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The company has raised over $1 billion, with a $39 billion valuation. The company’s Figure 03 robot wears a flattering white knit outfit, and the company’s slick promotional videos show the bot watering plants, slowly cleaning up the house, working as a hotel concierge, and delivering packages.

The company’s Helix AI system touts several “firsts,” such as the ability to “pick up anything” and collaborate with other Figure bots on a shared task.  

1X Technologies: Neo

Norway’s 1X Technologies has a robot clad in knitwear from head to toe named Neo. Its face resembles two black marbles pushed into a ball of dough. For $20,000 (the early access price), you can order a Neo bot now in one of three colors. 1X’s website says Neo can take on “boring and mundane tasks” around the house, such as dusting, doing the laundry, opening doors, and vacuuming.

But as The Wall Street Journal found out, this sometimes requires actual human beings to teleoperate Neo while in your home. The lightweight 66-pound bot takes a unique approach to its mechanical engineering — it uses powerful motors that pull tendon-like cords to move the robot, making for quiet operation. 1X lists OpenAI among the company’s investors, and is reportedly seeking to raise as much as $1 billion.  

Agility Robotics: Digit

Agility Robotics’ unusual Digit industrial robots feature legs that bend backward like a flamingo, and can be found doing actual work in GXO warehouses today, helping sort orders for Spanx. This fall, the company marked a milestone of 100,000 warehouse totes that have been moved by a Digit robot. The bot can lift up to 35 pounds and is powered by Nvidia’s Jetson Thor platform. Amazon has also been testing Digit for use in its warehouses. 

Looking at this lineup of humanoid bots, what is striking is how many seem to have the same black-and-white aesthetic, barring a few exceptions that lean into softer materials.

At least robot manufacturers have started to make them look less creepy.