Not long ago, humanoid robots sat firmly in the category of “cool demo, wildly impractical.” They dazzled on conference stages, tripped over their own feet on YouTube, and then quietly disappeared back into research labs. That phase is ending fast.
Humanoid robots are moving from spectacle to systems. From factories and hospitals to aged care facilities and, eventually, our homes, they are inching closer to everyday life. Goldman Sachs estimates there could be more than 13 million humanoid robots in use globally by 2035. That’s less than a decade away. While most of these robots will appear in workplaces first, the ripple effects will be felt across households, cities and entire industries.
The drivers are converging rapidly. Advances in AI vision, balance and hand dexterity are accelerating. Labour shortages are intensifying as populations age and fewer people enter physically demanding roles. Cultural expectations are shifting around convenience, care and the value of time. And younger generations are far more comfortable sharing space with machines than any before them.
For leaders and professionals, the question is no longer whether humanoid robots will matter, but how quietly and quickly they will reshape expectations.
1. From Sci‑Fi Spectacle to Quiet Utility
The first major shift is psychological. Humanoid robots are not arriving with dramatic flair or cinematic ambition. They’re slipping in through side doors, doing the dull jobs no one wants to talk about at dinner parties.
We already live with robots, even if we don’t think of them that way. They vacuum our floors, mow our lawns and assist surgeons. In fact, more than 80 percent of prostate surgeries are now performed using robotic systems. COVID accelerated this trend, particularly in agriculture and logistics, where closed borders and labour shortages forced rapid adoption.
Humanoid robots represent the next logical step because they fit into environments built for humans. Factories, warehouses and hospitals don’t need to be redesigned when the robot has two legs, two arms and can use existing tools. That’s why companies like BMW, Hyundai and Tesla are already trialling humanoid robots on factory floors for repetitive and physically demanding tasks. Hyundai has publicly stated it plans to deploy humanoid robots in US factories from 2028.
China offers a glimpse of what early adoption looks like at scale. Humanoid robots are already working as tour guides, retail assistants, warehouse staff and service workers, with some even assisting in policing and security roles. Dedicated robot training centres allow machines to learn by observing humans rather than being painstakingly programmed line by line.
The implication is clear. Early adoption will be quiet and practical rather than flashy. Organisations that treat humanoid robots as boring infrastructure rather than futuristic mascots will extract far more value from them.
2. Cobots, Not Job Stealers
It’s impossible to discuss humanoid robots without confronting workforce anxiety. Elon Musk has said Tesla aims to build up to 100,000 humanoid robots per month within five years. Numbers like that naturally raise concerns about job losses.
But the reality is more nuanced. Humanoid robots are particularly good at jobs humans increasingly struggle to fill. Dirty, dangerous and repetitive work. Heavy lifting. Night shifts. Tasks that lead to injury, burnout or high turnover.
Robots are already being used for warehouse picking, post‑surgery rehabilitation support and repetitive assembly. Deloitte predicts physical AI and humanoid robots will play a major role in addressing labour shortages, especially as populations age and healthcare demand grows.
Rather than replacing humans, most experts expect robots to change the nature of work. This is where the idea of “cobots” becomes critical. Collaborative robots that work alongside humans, taking on physical or repetitive tasks while people move into supervision, creativity, problem‑solving and decision‑making roles.
For organisations, the real opportunity lies in redesigning jobs, not eliminating them. Professionals who focus on skills like judgement, empathy, oversight and systems thinking will become more valuable, not less.
3. Impressive, Fallible and Still Learning
The technology behind humanoid robots has advanced rapidly, particularly in vision systems, balance and hand dexterity. Some recent demonstrations have been so realistic that audiences questioned whether they were watching a robot or a human in disguise.
At the same time, viral clips of robots face‑planting, freezing mid‑task or dropping objects are not anomalies. They are part of the learning curve. This is what early‑stage intelligence looks like in physical form.
Robots perform best in controlled environments like factories and warehouses. Homes are far more challenging. Pets move unpredictably. Children run. Objects shift. Lighting changes. Most humanoid robots today still rely on some level of human supervision or remote assistance for complex tasks.
This phase closely mirrors the early days of self‑driving cars. Highly impressive in certain contexts, unreliable in others. The risk is not that robots will fail, but that humans will assume they won’t.
Organisations that succeed will design systems that assume occasional failure and build safeguards accordingly.
4. The Home Robot Will Sell Time, Not Wow
When humanoid robots enter homes, affordability and accessibility will dominate the conversation. Today, a humanoid robot like Neo costs around $20,000. By 2035, that figure is expected to fall closer to $10,000 as manufacturing scales and components become cheaper.
But ownership won’t be the starting point for most people. Early home robots will be aimed at wealthy households, aged care facilities and people with mobility needs. LG has already demonstrated prototype home robots capable of folding laundry and preparing simple meals, while projects like Tombot, a robotic puppy designed to support people with dementia, show how emotionally intelligent design can support care settings.
For most households, the first exposure will likely be shared robots in apartment buildings, hotels or assisted living environments rather than owning one outright. Leasing models and robot‑as‑a‑service offerings will play a significant role in improving accessibility.
The real appeal is not novelty. It’s time. Even saving 30 to 60 minutes a day by offloading repetitive tasks changes how people live, work and rest.
5. Trust Will Matter More Than Lifelike Design
Safety, privacy and psychological trust will ultimately determine whether humanoid robots are accepted into daily life. Most are designed to be lightweight, slow and compliant, stopping when they encounter resistance.
Privacy is a genuine concern. Robots rely on cameras and sensors to navigate spaces, raising questions about data storage, access and ownership. There is also the risk of over‑trust. Robots that look human can trigger emotional responses even when people know they are machines.
Experts agree humans will remain in the loop for a long time, particularly in homes and healthcare settings. Acceptance will depend less on realism and more on whether people feel in control of the technology.
There is also a genuine fear response to consider. An estimated 20 percent of the population experiences some degree of robophobia. Ignoring that reality would be a mistake.
What This All Adds Up To
Humanoid robots are not coming to replace us, impress us or entertain us. They’re coming to quietly reshape how work gets done, how care is delivered and how time is reclaimed.
The trends are clear. Practical utility over spectacle. Collaboration over replacement. Rapid progress with real limitations. Time as the killer feature at home. Trust as the deciding factor everywhere.
The future won’t arrive with a dramatic unveiling. It will arrive task by task, shift by shift, home by home. The robots are learning fast. We should too.
Michael McQueen is a trends forecaster, change strategist and award-winning conference speaker.
He features regularly as a commentator on TV and radio and is a bestselling author of 10 books. His most recent book Mindstuck explores the psychology of stubbornness and how to change minds – including your own. Find out more here.
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