Should humanoid robots in every household really be a top priority? | Science

It is likely that you have seen videos of humanoid robots diligently performing a variety of household chores: loading the dishwasher, vacuuming the floor, or putting groceries away. These are all tasks we humans carry out regularly, usually with limited enthusiasm, that often prevent us from doing considerably more interesting things. I shall refrain from elaborating on what those things might be, save to suggest that reading this piece would not be an entirely unreasonable choice, and instead turn to a question that has occupied me for rather more months than I care to admit—is loading the dishwasher really among the most pressing problems we need robots to solve today?