Humanoid Robots Impress but Replacing Workers Is Years Away

Figure showcased humanoid robots performing basic tasks and a separate demonstration showed a group of its robots sorting packages continuously for nine days. Researchers and industry figures say the demonstrations highlight task ability but that widespread worker replacement is not imminent.

The nine-day package-sorting run was livestreamed. In a separate clip, a human worker sorted more packages than a team of the robots after the machines paused to recharge. Figure CEO Brett Adcock responded to that outcome by saying it would be the last time ‘a human will ever win.’

Oliver Obst, an associate professor of robotics at the University of New South Wales, said physical work in controlled environments is where robots are most likely to displace humans first. He noted that AI software is already affecting information work such as administrative and document-processing tasks, but added that humanoid robots are not ready for mass rollout because they are not clearly better than existing factory automation. He listed reliability, speed, safety, cost and recovery from unexpected situations as persistent problems.

Markus Levin, co-founder of a decentralized data network, pointed to practical constraints for robots beyond software capability. He highlighted the need for charging, maintenance and human supervision and identified reliability, safety, regulation, infrastructure costs and public trust as barriers to wide deployment.

Dr Francisco Cruz Naranjo, a senior lecturer in robotics at the University of New South Wales, said the operating environment strongly affects robot performance. He described robots as efficient in controlled settings such as factories and warehouses, but said they struggle to adapt in dynamic environments like homes or unstructured work sites.

Economic data show some early effects of automation. A workforce consulting firm reported that U.S. companies announced layoffs totaling an estimated 49,135 people in 2026 that were attributed to AI. An industry report found global demand for factory robots has roughly doubled over the last decade, with warehouses and logistics among the fastest-growing areas of adoption.

Obst and Naranjo noted potential uses for robots, including covering labor shortages and performing hazardous tasks that pose risks to humans. Obst warned that reducing the human cost of danger in military or other contexts could have unintended effects and that large-scale automation would raise questions about economic systems tied to wages and employment.

Experts say progress in hardware and software will expand robot capabilities, but they describe the near-term pattern as gradual and selective. They say broader substitution of human workers will depend on improvements in safety, adaptability, cost-effectiveness, and on regulatory and social acceptance.