Mark Cuban predicts humanoid robot trend will fail within 5-10 years

Mark Cuban envisions a future where robots coexist with humans, just not the kind you might imagine.

"There's a big focus on humanoid robots right now. My guess is they won't last more than five years, maybe a decade at the most," Cuban stated on Thursday during the live tech show TBPN.

Humanoid robots have gained popularity, including with Elon Musk, who believes Tesla’s Optimus might be the firm's future.

Business Insider noted in January that OpenAI had secretly established a humanoid robotics center the previous year.

Cuban, however, suggested that designing environments and robots in tandem would be more effective than crafting human-like robots to fit into the current world context.

"Some people insist, 'Since a house is a house, you need a humanoid.' I foresee homes being entirely redesigned," he pointed out.

For example, he suggested robots shaped like spiders or ants could carry out tasks, while houses could be redesigned to have the pantry, fridge, and laundry concealed, with these robots mainly engaging with them, ensuring the living areas remain for humans.

"The robots won't necessarily be human-shaped. They'll be optimized for their purpose," Cuban said. "You build the house to match the robot, and create the robot to match the house."

He highlighted Amazon’s strategy of employing robots in its warehouses, noting these robots don't resemble humans. According to Amazon, it utilizes over a million robots that sort, lift, and handle packages, none of which are human-like.

Despite this, large corporations like Tesla and OpenAI, alongside numerous smaller companies, are still investing in humanoid robots.

An executive from Agility Robotics, which has implemented humanoids both at Amazon and Toyota, told Business Insider their robots could take over manufacturing jobs that people are reluctant to fill.

"The revival of manufacturing in America can only happen through a mix of human workers and automation technologies, like humans and robots working together," he commented.