The dawn of the era of artificially intelligent home assistants
English translation from Unibot. Source published 2025-07-21.
We are entering a new era of home automation as humanoid robots equipped with advanced artificial intelligence are ready to enter our homes and help us with daily tasks. Norwegian engineer Bernt Bornich, CEO and founder of the startup 1X, is leading this revolution with the Neo robot, designed specifically for work in the home environment.
During a recent showcase in Redwood City, California, a sleek humanoid robot in a beige suit greeted guests with a Scandinavian accent and a firm handshake. Called Neo, this robot represents the pinnacle of consumer robotics technology. When asked to fetch a bottle of water, Neo smoothly walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and pulled out water with one hand - a simple action that demonstrates impressive technological sophistication.
1X, led by Bornich, plans to deploy the Neo robot in more than a hundred homes in Silicon Valley and beyond by the end of this year. This launch will be one of the first large-scale experiments to introduce humanoid robots into the home. Investors are increasingly confident in the technology's promise, pouring an estimated $7.2 billion into humanoid robot startups since 2015. Investments reached $1.6 billion last year alone, highlighting the rapid rise in interest in bringing humanoid robots into our daily lives.
The creation of the Neo robot and similar models symbolizes an important change in the focus of robotics. While artificial intelligence has already revolutionized various aspects of modern life—from self-driving cars to essay writing and coding—humanoid robots represent the next frontier. Designed to resemble humans and navigate familiar spaces, these machines have the potential to revolutionize the way we do household tasks, providing particularly valuable support for older people and those with disabilities.
As humanoid robots like Neo approach our homes, humanity is entering a new phase in its relationship with machines. The rapid expansion of investment and technological capabilities suggests that household robots will soon become as commonplace as smartphones and smart speakers, revolutionizing the way we manage our households.