Humanoid Robots Are Here – Bernt Børnich and NEO holds a TED Talk

Watch the Ted Talk here or on Youtube below.

Bernt Børnich, founder and CEO of 1X Technologies, delivered an eye-opening TED Talk that began not with a human, but with a humanoid robot named NEO. In a poetic opening, NEO compared the once-unimaginable abundance of energy to the coming revolution in labor—one where physical work may soon be just as effortlessly accessible.

Børnich envisions a future where humanoid robots like NEO perform everyday tasks—washing dishes, folding laundry, assisting the elderly—freeing humans to focus on creativity, relationships, and exploration. But more than solving today’s labor shortages, he believes these robots can fundamentally redefine what it means to be human.

Start with the home

Contrary to conventional belief that robots should begin in factories, Børnich argues that true intelligence requires diversity and unpredictability—things found not in manufacturing, but in the chaotic, dynamic environment of the home. His team discovered this firsthand by placing earlier robot models in domestic settings, where their learning accelerated as they encountered a wide range of real-world scenarios.

Safety first

Børnich also highlighted the unique design of NEO, which uses tendon-like structures to mimic human muscles, making it safe, soft, and agile—crucial traits for integration into human spaces.

Looking ahead, Børnich dreams of a world where robots don’t just clean homes, but help build data centers, fabricate chips, conduct scientific research, and even construct particle accelerators. With millions of intelligent machines contributing to scientific discovery, he believes humanity could solve some of the universe’s deepest mysteries.

In the end, this vision is not just about robots—it’s about reclaiming our most valuable resource: time. And perhaps, through a new symbiosis between humans and machines, redefining our own humanity.