The business model for teleoperated robots like 1X's NEO isn't full autonomy but pairs a physical robot in a wealthy home with a human operator in another country. This creates a new form of globalized service labor, raising complex ethical questions about a future of "virtual housekeepers" and remote physical work.
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While the robo-taxi market is a massive $8-10 trillion opportunity, Cathie Wood's ARK Invest projects an even larger market for humanoid robots. They estimate this "embodied AI" sector could generate $26 trillion in revenue within 7 to 15 years. This re-contextualizes companies like Tesla as players in a future general-purpose robotics economy.
The 1X robot's teleoperation, often seen as a sign of immaturity, is actually a key feature. It allows for both a "human-in-the-loop" expert service for complex tasks and personal remote control, like checking on a pet, creating immediate utility beyond full autonomy.
A user speculates on a future where you could buy a humanoid robot, get hired by the robot's manufacturer as a remote operator, and then get paid (with benefits) to teleoperate your own robot to do chores in your own house. This highlights a potential, albeit absurd, evolution of labor markets.
The labor force for teleoperated robots could be sourced from the gig economy. Ride-share drivers, for instance, could operate robots during their downtime between rides, creating a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective pool of on-demand human operators.
Companies developing humanoid robots, like One X, market a vision of autonomy but will initially ship a teleoperated product. This "human-in-the-loop" model allows them to enter the market and gather data while full autonomy is still in development.
Leading robotics companies are taking different paths to market. Boston Dynamics targets industrial use cases (e.g., DHL, BP). In contrast, both Figure AI and 1X are now focused on the home, but 1X is moving more aggressively by accepting consumer pre-orders first.
The first home humanoid robot, Nio, requires frequent human remote intervention to function. The company frames this not as a flaw but a "social contract," where early adopters pay $20,000 to actively participate in the robot's AI training. This reframes a product's limitations into a co-development feature.
While Figure's CEO criticizes competitors for using human operators in robot videos, this 'wizard of oz' technique is a critical data-gathering and development stage. Just as early Waymo cars had human operators, teleoperation is how companies collect the training data needed for true autonomy.
While 2025 saw major advancements for robots in commercial settings like autonomous driving (Waymo) and logistics (Amazon), consumer-facing humanoid robots remain impractical. They lack the fine motor skills and dexterity required for complex household chores, failing the metaphorical "laundry test."
The humanoid robot company 1X is pricing its Neo robot at $20,000 to buy or $500/month to rent. This price point is a major signal for the industry because it's already competitive with, or cheaper than, human labor for tasks like housekeeping. This makes economic viability a near-term reality, even before full autonomy is achieved.
