Part 10/12:
While some early-stage beta testing is standard for complex AI endeavors—like self-driving cars—the scale and implications are different in a home environment, where safety, privacy, and reliability are critical. The question remains: Are enough people willing to pay a premium for a product that still requires extensive remote control and manual oversight?
Conclusion: Patience Versus Hype
The core issue with developments like NEO is the hype cycle—where dreams of a Rosie the Robot or household AI utopia are marketed before the underlying technology is ready. Challenging issues like object recognition, safe manipulation, adaptive learning, and household diversity haven't been solved at scale.