Luca Galuppi : 9 November 2025 16:02
The home of the future is full of robots. Automated laundries, personal assistants, and small electronic housekeepers are all devices designed to free up precious time and make domestic life more convenient. But behind this promise of convenience lies a hidden price: privacy.
In recent months, products like Neo 1X have attracted media attention. This humanoid robot promises to load the dishwasher, fold laundry, and organize the house. However, the reality behind the promises is clear, as many of these robots are not yet autonomous. To perform even the simplest household tasks, they often require remote control from a human operator, turning the robot into an extension of someone else’s eyes and ears.
Neo 1X has become the symbol of the new generation of home robots. Standing 168 centimeters tall and weighing 30 kilograms, it promises to revolutionize daily tasks, from dishwashers to laundry, from organizing shelves to carrying groceries. Its price tag of $20,000 isn’t affordable for everyone, but the media hype has raised questions far more important than money: how much of our private lives are we willing to make available to a connected machine?
The most critical point is its actual operation. Although the manufacturer claims autonomy, Neo 1X still relies largely on human remote control. In practice, a remote operator can take control of the robot, see through its cameras and listen through its microphones, to complete tasks the robot cannot perform on its own. The company claims that safety mechanisms are in place, such as facial blurring, voice recognition, and restricted areas, but the details of who manages the data and how it is recorded remain unclear.
Furthermore, training the robot requires time and ongoing user collaboration. Bernt Børnich, CEO of 1X Technologies, explains that the goal is to make Neo more autonomous by 2026, but for now, every robot represents a window into domestic life, with obvious implications for the privacy and security of the home’s inhabitants. Neo 1X is not only an example of a domestic robot, but also a warning bell about the future of robotics, where convenience and surveillance risk becoming confused.
And Neo is just the tip of the iceberg. In the coming years, hundreds of connected robots will hit the market, all equipped with cameras, microphones, and sensors, from automated kitchens to personal assistants in bedrooms. The technology promises efficiency, but with it comes real challenges for domestic privacy.
Every connected robot collects data, such as movements, habits, conversations, and even sensitive information. Who will have access to this data? How will permissions be managed? And above all, how much control will we have over who can observe our private lives?
Many manufacturers promise consent systems, restricted zones, and algorithms that blur people or objects, but the technical details often remain unclear. The reality is that every home robot represents a potential window into your home, and not all residents are ready to fully understand what this means.
This isn’t just a technical issue, but an ethical one. Many companies talk about “autonomous” robots, but in reality, these devices still require direct human intervention, in-home training sessions, and remote monitoring. In effect, the home becomes an observation laboratory where user data is used to train machines and artificial intelligence.
According to industry experts like John Carmack, it would be more accurate to speak of remote home care. The difference isn’t trivial because it means a stranger can literally enter your daily life without being physically present.
The future of home robots is fascinating, but privacy will become an active variable in our daily lives. Every connected device will potentially be an observer, and homes risk becoming monitored spaces, where the technology that simplifies household chores can also collect sensitive data or be vulnerable to outside intrusions.
The challenge for consumers will be learning to read the terms of service, evaluate security levels, and understand how much they’re willing to trade control and privacy for convenience. The allure of home robotics is strong, but the hidden cost isn’t cheap; it affects your privacy, security, and control over your home life.
The real question is no longer whether we want a robot in our home, but who or what will come with it. Every new connected robot brings convenience, but also eyes and ears observing our private lives. Privacy isn’t an optional extra to be casually accepted: it’s a right to be defended, a boundary that determines how far we’re willing to let technology into our homes.
In an increasingly automated future, home security will depend not only on the power of robots, but also on the awareness with which we choose to use them. Understanding the terms of service, evaluating protective measures, and establishing clear boundaries will be the only way to enjoy the benefits of robotics without sacrificing what truly gives us control over our daily lives.
Convenience comes with a hidden price, and that price is privacy.
Luca Galuppi