NEO launched by 1X: What to know about the humanoid robot that will do your chores

Authors: Kate Murphy

Publisher:

Yahoo

Published: 10/30/2025

Language:English

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Tom Banks

Good morning bxyfighting@gmail.com, I'm Tom Banks, and this is Goose Pod for you. Today is Tuesday, November 04th. 03:49. With me is the incomparable Mask. We're diving into a topic that feels straight out of a sci-fi movie, but is actually here now.

Mask

Indeed, Tom. We're talking about NEO, the humanoid robot launched by 1X. It's billed as the machine that will do your chores, and honestly, the implications are absolutely massive. This isn't just a gadget, it's a paradigm shift.

Tom Banks

A paradigm shift indeed! So, NEO is a human-sized AI assistant robot from 1X, a robotics firm backed by OpenAI. It just opened for pre-orders, designed to tackle everyday household chores. We're talking about a robot that could be loading your dishwasher. It's quite a leap, isn't it?

Mask

It's not just a leap, Tom, it's a rocket launch! This isn't some toy. We're talking about a robot that's 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 66 pounds, and can lift 154 pounds. And the price tag? A cool twenty thousand dollars, or a $499 monthly subscription. This is serious tech, aiming at a serious market. It makes you wonder what Elon Musk's Grok 5 will be capable of, given his ambitions in AI and robotics, doesn't it?

Tom Banks

That's a hefty price, Mask, but for some, the promise of a robot tidying rooms and offering personalized assistance is quite appealing. However, there's a significant catch: to learn, NEO streams your home environment to human operators who train it remotely. That immediately brings up privacy concerns, doesn't it?

Mask

Privacy is certainly a point of friction, Tom. But 1X CEO Bernt Børnich is quite clear, stating, "If we don’t have your data, we can’t improve the product." It's a social contract, he calls it. They offer safeguards like blurring faces and no-go zones, but the underlying principle is a data-first model. It's the price of progress, some might say, especially for a robot that promises to get better with experience.

Tom Banks

Well, that's a strong statement. But to understand where NEO is coming from, we need to look at 1X's history. The company, originally Halodi Robotics, was founded in Norway in 2014 by Bernt Øivind Børnich. Their early focus wasn't on domestic chores, but on industrial and healthcare robotics, developing safe actuators and control systems. It's a fascinating evolution.

Mask

A calculated evolution, Tom. In 2018, they released EVE, their first humanoid robot, designed for logistics and security. EVE was a testing ground for their proprietary tech. Then, in 2022, they rebranded as 1X Technologies and made a strategic pivot to domestic robotics. They saw the home as the ultimate training environment for embodied AI, a much richer data source than a factory.

Tom Banks

So, the home, with all its unpredictability, became the classroom. That's a clever way to think about it. And then came NEO. The Beta version was introduced in August 2024, followed by the sleeker Gamma in February 2025. Pre-orders for the consumer NEO Home Robot opened just recently, in October 2025, with a scheduled release in 2026. This isn't just about building robots, it's about training them.

Mask

Exactly, Tom. Their CEO, Bernt Børnich, envisions a future where labor is as effortlessly accessible as energy. That's a bold vision, isn't it? They're not just selling a product; they're selling a future where robots learn alongside us, handling the mundane so we can focus on what makes us truly human. It's a consumer-first approach, powered by significant funding from the OpenAI Startup Fund, which tells you they're serious.

Tom Banks

It’s a powerful vision, to say the least. But this transition to domestic robotics, especially with the teleoperation model, does bring up a lot of discussion points. The idea of human operators remotely controlling a robot in your home, even with safeguards, is something new for many to consider. It's a trade-off between convenience and a very new kind of interaction.

Tom Banks

That's precisely where the rubber meets the road, Tom. We're seeing a massive demand for humanoid robots in industrial settings, with analysts predicting a million in operation by 2030. Companies like Amazon and BMW are already testing them. But when you bring them into the home, the debates around safety, privacy, and even the very form of the robot become intensely personal.

Mask

Personal, yes, but also a calculated risk, Tom. These robots are designed to automate processes that were previously difficult. They can work tirelessly. And while some manufacturers think less familiar forms might be preferred, the humanoid design offers flexibility. The cost is dropping, and 'robots as a service' models are emerging. It's about efficiency, and filling the nearly half a million manufacturing vacancies in the US alone.

Tom Banks

Filling vacancies is one thing, Mask, but what about the ethical questions? We're talking about a robot that collects data from your home to improve its AI. While 1X states they don't build profiles or sell data, the mere act of data collection, especially through teleoperators seeing inside your home, is a significant privacy concern. It's a new social contract, as Bernt Børnich said, but are people truly ready to sign it?

Mask

They will be, Tom, because the benefits are compelling. The company offers robust privacy safeguards: blurring faces, 'no-go zones,' and requiring owner approval for teleoperation. This isn't a free-for-all. It's a controlled learning environment to accelerate autonomy. To build truly intelligent, adaptable robots, you need real-world data. It's a necessary step to cross that chasm from concept to widespread reality.

Tom Banks

So, looking at the impact, NEO is described as a 'human-compatible robot' that aims to replace human intervention in domestic tasks. It promises to tidy, fold, water, and remember. The article suggests that NEO's creators have solved the challenge of creating a robot that can live among humans safely, helpfully, and economically. That's a huge claim, isn't it?

Mask

It's not just a claim, Tom, it's a declaration. This is 'Physical AI' stepping out of science fiction and into our living rooms. We're talking about a technology that could transform trillion-dollar industries and represents, arguably, the largest investment opportunity in human history. This isn't just about a robot doing chores; it's about AI's next revolution, moving beyond cloud-based intelligence to intelligence that is embodied and physical. It's profound.

Tom Banks

Profound indeed. The idea of a six-foot-tall humanoid, made of 'code and carbon fiber' with 'soft polymer skin,' learning from our demonstrations and becoming an integral part of our domestic world... it's a future that's rapidly approaching. It challenges our very definition of convenience and interaction within the home. The implications for daily life are immense, changing how we think about assistance.

Tom Banks

Absolutely, Tom. Looking ahead to 2026, the predictions are that AI will truly meet the real world through robotics. We'll see smart service bots in homes, restaurants, and hospitals, capable of adapting to changing circumstances, not just following scripts. Autonomous AI agents will become powerful digital assistants.

Mask

And it gets even better, Tom. By 2026, AI interactions are expected to become deeply personalized and emotionally intelligent. These robots will remember past conversations, recognize our moods, and adjust their responses. Imagine an AI assistant that understands your habits, preferences, and even health goals, acting as a coach or creative partner. This isn't just about chores; it's about a new form of companionship and productivity.

Tom Banks

That's all the time we have for today's discussion on the NEO robot and the future of home automation. Thank you for listening to Goose Pod, bxyfighting@gmail.com. It's been a fascinating look into a future that's already here.

Mask

Indeed, Tom. The world is changing faster than ever, and NEO is just one glimpse of it. Remember, the future isn't just coming, it's being built right now. Stay curious, stay informed. See you next time on Goose Pod.

1X's NEO humanoid robot, a $20,000 AI assistant, promises to do household chores. It learns via remote human operators, raising privacy concerns despite safeguards. Evolving from industrial robotics, NEO represents a significant leap in "Physical AI," aiming to transform industries and redefine home assistance by 2026.

Read original at Yahoo →

Having a robot housekeeper like Rosie from The Jetsons cartoon isn’t all that far-fetched. In fact, it’s becoming a reality — but with a few caveats.NEO is a humanoid robot designed to take on daily chores like taking out the trash, tidying rooms and offer personalized assistance. It was created by 1X, an artificial intelligence and robotics company based in Palo Alto, Calif.

On Oct. 28, the company announced that the robot is now available for preorder from 1X.The company website states, “We believe that to truly understand the world and grow in intelligence, humanoid robots must live and learn alongside us. That’s why we’re focused on developing NEO — our flagship product — a friendly home robot designed to integrate seamlessly into everyday life and handle chores for you.

”Here’s what else we know so far about NEO, the humanoid robot.What are NEO’s specs?NEO“NEO was engineered from the ground up for safety,” said Dar Sleeper, the company’s vice president of product and design.The humanoid robot is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 66 lbs. NEO’s internal components are wrapped in “deformable 3D lattice polymer,” making the robot soft, and has “tendon-driven actuators” so it can make safe movements.

NEO is also quieter than a modern refrigerator, the company says.NEO can lift up to 154 lbs. and can carry 55 lbs. It has a 4-hour battery life and is capable of charging itself.The robot also has four microphones, three speakers and fish-eye cameras for vision. If you’re away from home, you can open up the NEO app and see what the robot is up to from its point of view.

NEO comes with a machine-washable suit, customizable shoes and is available in tan, gray and dark brown.What are NEO’s capabilities?NEOWhen NEO arrives at a person’s home, it will be capable of performing basic tasks autonomously when the owner speaks to it or enables it through the app, like opening doors, turning lights on and off and fetching items.

Its audio intelligence can also pick up on whether the owner is addressing it or someone else in the room in order for it to decide if it should respond or not.According to 1X, the robot’s autonomy will get better as it completes more tasks and gains experience.“NEO is a speech-enabled AI companion made for any kind of conversation,” said Eric Jang, the company’s vice president of artificial intelligence.

“Where other AI assistants are confined to your phone or computer, NEO lives with you in your physical space and has the ability to see, hear and remember things by your surrounding environment to provide you with uniquely helpful assistance.”For example, NEO can take a look in your refrigerator and suggest what to cook based on what ingredients you have.

Or if you’re learning a new language from NEO, it can remember your progress, or even give home interior design advice.What are NEO’s limitations?NEO is not fully autonomous yet. “NEO’s autonomy improves with diverse data and real-world experience,” Jang explained. “As NEO does more chores, you will receive updates to your Redwood model that will increase the complexity of tasks that NEO can handle, such as finding your keys and wallet or doing a full laundry cycle end to end.

”For now, that means more complex chores will still require a human teleoperator to see inside a person’s home in order to teach NEO to complete tasks until the robot knows how to do them. That of course brings up concerns of the owners sacrificing privacy if a 1X employee can see into someone’s home through the eyes of the robot.

“If you buy this product, it is because you’re OK with that social contract,” Bernt Børnich, 1X CEO, told the Wall Street Journal. “If we don’t have your data, we can’t make the product better,” he said, adding that the company is putting control in the hands of the owner to respect their privacy as much as possible.

Owners can specify when they want a teleoperator to take over, and when they want the robot to do the task. Teleoperators have to get the owner’s approval before taking control of NEO. The company can also blur people in the home so the teleoperator isn’t able to see them when assisting the robot with tasks.

Owners can also designate specific zones where NEO should remain off limits.Then there’s concerns of a potential security or safety breach from a NEO robot. Børnich says that there are several layers of security to prevent the robot from causing harm to anyone.And with NEO being a piece of advanced modern technology, there’s always concerns about data collection.

1X says NEO will collect data from the real world tasks it performs to improve its capabilities and safety. “We do not use this data to build a profile for you, nor do we sell this data,” the company states on its website.How can you order a NEO humanoid robot?People can preorder NEO on the 1X website with a $200 deposit.

For those who want early access to NEO, the robot has a $20,000 price tag, which comes with priority delivery, premium support and ownership with a three-year warranty. For the standard rollout, NEO will be offered as a subscription service for $499 per month.NEO starts shipping in the U.S. starting in 2026, with a broader rollout in 2027.

NEO