Billionaire investor Mark Cuban believes humanoid robots will fail within the next five to 10 years. Instead, he expects machines shaped around the specific jobs and spaces they serve.
The former Shark Tank investor warned that both the companies and their machines could fail miserably. In his view, the push for human-shaped robots rests on a flawed assumption.
Why Cuban Doubts Humanoid Robots
Cuban says the industry defaults to humanoids because people live in a human world. Yet he sees no chance for that model, particularly in the home. He points to Amazon warehouses, where robots built for the setting do the work instead of humanoids carrying boxes.
His alternative borrows from nature. In the clip, he suggests future robots could resemble spiders or ants that can carry and lift things. Houses could then hide the pantry, refrigerator, and washing machines behind the garage. As a result, all the living space would belong to people.
Cuban describes this as co-design, with the house built to fit the robot and the robot built to fit the house. In a follow-up post, he compared the shift to how kitchens made room for microwaves and dishwashers. He also noted that humanoids are bulky and struggle to handle multiple jobs from one command.
Robot Makers Still Bet on the Human Form
However, much of the robotics industry is moving in the opposite direction. Unitree founder Wang Xingxing recently said humanoids could reach their ChatGPT moment within two to 10 years.
Investors seem to agree with him. The Chinese firm’s stock opened 629% higher during its Shanghai trading debut. Crypto money has also joined the trend, as Tether led a $1.4 billion funding round for German developer NEURA Robotics.
Still, Cuban’s own example makes his point hard to dismiss. He asked followers whether they would rather own a Roomba, iRobot’s disc-shaped vacuum, or a humanoid pushing a broom.
For now, the debate remains open. If Cuban is right, the next robotics winners may look nothing like the machines on stage at today’s tech conferences.