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Comment by xnx | Hacker News Reader

> it follows that it'll be able to replace all physical labor with robotics fairly quickly

This is not clear at all. Even the most expensive robotic/arms hands perfectly controlled fail to do thing as quickly and easily as human limbs, not to mention the chaotic environment that is the real world. It's clear that it can happen, but the timeline is not quick.

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Just because a task is done with human hands, doesn't mean it has to be done with a robotic one. Our robot vacuum cleaners aren't Rosie pushing a standing vacuum.

That is true. OTOH, if you want a robot to do your laundry and pick up socks from the floor it will have to fit through your bedroom door and reach your washing machine. These environments are not factories. And if homes need to change they won't instantly.

Yes, it's likely that the human competitive advantage going forward is that we'll be cheaper than robots when you need to fit into awkward spaces. Truly a fulfilling career.

And robot vacuum cleaners are still very limited. Actually outside of doing the laundry and partially dishwashing (which comes with its own drawbacks, practical, physical home automation is super primitive).

I sometimes take refuge in the reminder that our "normal" limbs are—quite literally—a swarm of the most incredible and sophisticated nanobots in existence which still evade our understanding.

Yeah, I can't pick up red hot ingots and punch them into complicated shapes, but there are dozens of other features I'm not willing to part with.

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