Service robots raise questions beyond surveillance

The article reports that consumer 'humanoid' service robots such as NEO are being marketed for home use and that critics raise concerns about home privacy, reliance on remote human operators ('expert mode'), and whether such devices actually reduce household labour; a price of about A$30,000 is cited.

Companies are marketing "consumer-ready" humanoid service robots for use in the home. The piece highlights NEO as one example and notes advertised household functions alongside cameras and sensors. It reports that some models rely on an "expert mode" that allows remote operators to assist or control the device. The article places these developments in a longer history showing that labour-saving technologies have not always reduced household work. Key points: - NEO is presented as a consumer-ready humanoid robot for home use; the article mentions a price around A$30,000. - Some robot designs include cameras and sensors and may offer an "expert mode" enabling remote employees to see inside homes and intervene. - Commentators describe a pattern where products marketed as autonomous depend on unseen human labour, a phenomenon called "fauxtomation" or "Potemkin AI." - Scholars note the Cowan Paradox: historical domestic technologies often shifted and sometimes increased household labour rather than reducing it. Summary: The reporting frames consumer-facing humanoid service robots as raising questions about privacy, data collection, hidden labour and whether they will lessen household work. Immediate effects include public scrutiny of marketing claims and operational models, while adoption remains limited by cost and technical constraints. Undetermined at this time.