Like Apple, Meta is Working on Humanoid Robots

[MacRumors]

Facebook parent company Meta is investing heavily in AI-powered humanoid robots, according to a report from Bloomberg. Meta wants to create robots that can act like humans and help people with physical tasks, and has developed a new team in its Reality Labs hardware to work on the project.

Meta's first focus will be on robots that can do household chores, but the company's overarching goal is to develop AI, sensors, and software for robots that can be manufactured and sold to third-party companies to allow those companies to develop their own robots. Meta is aiming to be the Android of robots.

Robot technology is not currently advanced enough to allow robots to fold clothes, do dishes, or complete other household chores, but Meta feels that its work in artificial intelligence and virtual reality could boost robot development.

In 2025, Meta will spend around $65 billion on artificial intelligence infrastructure, robotics, and virtual reality products. Meta plans to build some of its own hardware, and work with robotics manufacturers to build prototypes.

If Meta does end up creating a humanoid robot, it could compete with an Apple-designed robot in the future. Apple is working on both humanoid and non-humanoid robots, but the company's work on humanoid robotics is in the proof-of-concept stage and years away from launching.

Non-humanoid robots could come sooner. Apple is said to be working on a tabletop robot with an iPad-style display that's attached to a robotic arm, and such a product could come as early as 2026 or 2027.

Apple robotics researchers recently shared details on a lamp-like robot prototype with lifelike movements and human-like interaction capabilities.

Article Link: Like Apple, Meta is Working on Humanoid Robots

 

[sleeptodream]

Thank god

Meta is the only company I would trust to build AI powered robots that for sure won’t bring about the apocalypse

 

[jz0309]

Meta's first focus will be on robots that can do household chores

Zuck doing my dishes, washing the windows, cleaning the shower, toilet - love it

Can't wait til we hear that Google is doing the same thing ... and a bunch of startups, oh, and not to forget Sonos ...

 

[thefrost]

I don't see the point.

 

[swixo]

JUST what we need.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

Frankly we should be horrified by the people that have decided to build these kinds of things. These robots are almost certainly going to be used for violence in one way or another.

 

[rafark]

What happened to the car?

 

[Mousse]

I thought they already have a humanoid robot. They have one running the company, right?🤔

 

[alexandr]

The future is here!

 

[Rychiar]

How does Apple even work on this? they can’t even get a basic functioning Siri.

 

[scrapesleon]

who they making robots for companies to replace their workforce cause it sure aint for the common man at those starting price range

 

[Sippincider]

(redacted, bordering a bit close to NSFW)

 

[DoctorMesmer]

Zuck doing my dishes, washing the windows, cleaning the shower, toilet - love it

Just imagine if it was Siri though. It would fail at the most simple household tasks and wouldn’t be able to navigate around your house!

 

[Siliconguy]

I don't see the point.

If it can weed the garden and pick strawberries it would actually be useful. I certainly don't need it wandering around the house.

 

[olavsu1]

If people are pushed out of the job market by these things, countries will have to start paying citizens' salaries. Because where will people's livelihoods come from if robots take away their jobs?

 

[swm]

there's literally no hard evidence - other than sci-fi novels and movies - that humanoid robots are the way forward.
we do know that they are by no means on par WRT efficiency, neither with actual humans or purpose built robots, so welcome to the next big bet.

 

[Edsel]

We already have biotech “robots”, and it is us.

 

[Mr_Ed]

Meta wants to create robots that can act like humans and help people with physical tasks, and has developed a new team in its Reality Labs hardware to work on the project.

Meta's first focus will be on robots that can do household chores, but the company's overarching goal is to develop AI, sensors, and software for robots that can be manufactured and sold to third-party companies to allow those companies to develop their own robots. Meta is aiming to be the Android of robots.

Not sure how long it will take but at least this seems like a more practical goal than a desk-bound, articulated, iPad-faced, home automation hub.

 

[Morod]

In 2025, Meta will spend around $65 billion

Seriously? That much for flash-in-the-pan carp?

 

[Aeronauts]

People have been working on this stuff for decades. I shudder to think what Facebook could add. A robot that spreads hate and lies is not something I want to see.

 

[Mr_Ed]

Frankly we should be horrified by the people that have decided to build these kinds of things. These robots are almost certainly going to be used for violence in one way or another.

I’m more worried about what fuel they might need to consume . . .

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I don't see the point.

Humans have always looked for "cheaper labor"... not just in business structures but also at home. We seem to picture this nirvana where we can create "something" to do all of the work for us... but then still somehow pay the bills and similar. Perhaps we dream of what is implied in episodes of Star Trek-type Sci-Fi, where our future is no longer dominated by the pursuit of money. However, even if we eventually have the technology to replace upwards of all of our human jobs, the transition from here to there is quite foggy.

If you want to see the point: imagine a personal "Data" available for $20K. Would there be any buyers? Make that $10K. $5K. And if you had a Data able to do anything you can do, what would you have him do? Conceptually, up to everything you don't like/want to do. Data wouldn't care as he lacks the emotions to covet happiness. And then what would you do? Only things you actually like/want to do.

For many of us, the mundane parts of life would be the first things to delegate to Data. And the big joys of life would be the first things to fill in the time. Why go do that "boring" job every day when I'd rather be ___________? If Data can take over that boring stuff and get paid to do it, I can shift to ____________ full time.

It's that transition though that is complicated. Big imaginations can imagine the end of monetary-driven lives. It's not that hard to imagine. But how do we go from chasing dollars every day to not caring about such a chase? What are the steps? How do we phase out pursuit of wealth while phasing in all this labor replacement without us biologicals starving/evicted/etc for lacking the income to pay the bills still demanded until the transition would be complete.

Pair A.I. smart enough to at least match H.I. (Human Intelligence) with mechanical bodies like our own and we've created slave labor able to do anything we can do... and that labor won't require pay, vacations, sick time, etc. Don't waste your valuable time fixing that _____ or mowing that lawn or sitting in traffic... let Data fill in for you on that kind of stuff. You then do whatever you want to do in all of your waking moments.

I "think" the goal of this kind of stuff is towards that... though I'm not so sure of the motivations going along with that vision. Perhaps the motivations are simply to cut labor costs by replacing humans with bots... but preserve the monetary models largely "as is." Eventually, all those pesky humans can be cut from the company books and let the bots do all of the work for nearly $0 labor cost. And somehow the humans get to continue to live "normal" lives anyway, though that part doesn't seem to be well defined by anyone except in loose fantasy, often presented after we've jumped from the "as is" to that kind of finish line. The middle in between the two seems "complicated."

 

[EM2013]

allow robots to fold clothes, do dishes, or complete other household chores

We need to stop encouraging/enabling humans to be lazy

A Premonition from Wall-E

“You cannot argue against the fact that the creators of Wall-E were trying to warn the adults in the audience that this vision for…

benjweinberg.medium.com

 

[tonywalker23]

I got Bill Gate’s new memoir, Source Code, and started reading it this week but am not very far yet (I’m a slow reader, probably genuine disability). But on page 30 something I think he talks about being a kid at his age and the amazing things that were happen in the world of technology, specifically an event (World Fair?) that was in Seattle. He spoke about the excitement that people felt for what was coming.

I wrote in the margin that I want to always have that kind of technological excitement. I have no idea what all these personal robots will do. I also know that they will certainly be used for things that I don’t like. But I also know that there will be groups of people using “neutral” innovations for the good of others.

When that day comes, and the prices drop to blue collar people, and whatever these things are and can do, I look forward to seeing how today’s research will be used to for people who ‘go about doing good.’ I hope I get to be one of those people.

 

[Dirty Mac]

$65 billion Meta? Won't stand a chance when Musk throws a trillion into his GrokBot and it becomes one bot to rule them all and in the darkness bind them.