You’re a working mom, juggling the commute, the meetings, the mess at home. The day folds into itself until every hour feels the same.

You ask yourself, quietly, “Why am I living at all?”

“For my kids, and my kids only,” you say. And you keep grinding, going at it every day.

What if your average “mom” life didn’t have to be that way? What if life could be something else? What if you could open your eyes to the vast, undiscovered world ahead of you and leave all that mess behind?

Only for $20,000.

Last week, 1X Technologies announced the launch of its first product, Neo, for preorder and delivery to the US sometime in 2026. Right now, the humanoid is still in development and goes by the name Neo Gamma. 

With a $200 initial deposit, you can preorder Neo for 2026 and cancel anytime before delivery, for a fully refundable deposit. There are two ways to pay: a $499 monthly subscription and a one-time $20,000 purchase for the full range of capabilities.

Here’s what 1X Technologies promises its customers about the experience with the first-ever, full-fledged humanoid housekeeper:

You get back home, the laundry is done, the dishes are washed, all the rooms are clean and tidy, and Neo is self-charging, waiting for your command. Period.

What a bold claim; what a goal for NEO!

You toss your coat on the couch. It lands carelessly, almost like everything else in your life lately. The air in the kitchen still smells faintly of breakfast—burnt toast, cold coffee. The kids hover by the counter, eyes down.

“What happened this time?” you ask, voice low but sharp. A crumpled report card sits between you.

They mutter something, then bolt upstairs, backpacks thudding against the banister, footsteps pounding—a door slams, rattling the frame.

You sink into the couch. The house settles into silence except for the faint hum of the fridge, and your own breath: steady, tired, resigned.

Neo gets to work. 

The soft whirr replaces the arguments, and your living room resets itself to perfection.

Your eyes are locked on the new show you’re binge-watching, while in the corner of your vision, you can see Neo hanging your coat, fixing the pillows, and wiping down the kitchen. 

There is a slight creaking as he walks up the stairs and into the kids' room. You hear pencils scratching, quiet now. Neo tidies around them like a ghost.

He comes back down just as you get up to check on the kids. Their heads are down, still writing. You don’t say anything, a slight smirk. The door silently closes behind you, you walk downstairs, and plop yourself on the couch.

The crumbs you left from the crackers are gone, the blanket is folded, and Neo’s headlights are green, charging in the corner.

But when the commercial ends, and the illusion fades, here’s the truth under the vision: most of the clips of Neo doing chores were controlled by a human driver, though there were a few moments where Neo became fully autonomous.

Right now, reality is far from the dream 1X Technologies has sold us. Neo is clunky and hesitant, every motion a reminder that the dream isn’t real—yet.

With the rise of AI, it is now becoming a trend for companies to “sell the dream” before selling the actual product. This leaves a big gap between the sold vision and reality. The company behind Neo definitely has a lot of work to do to meet its 2026 promise. 

Except, here’s the catch. It’s not only 1X Technologies that must play a part in this development; consumers must as well. And with such bleeding-edge technology, privacy concerns, and an unpredictable performance promise, this is going to be a hard sell for the first few batches of beta testers.

In addition, the price tag is another topic to talk about. It shouldn’t surprise anyone. Neo is a “full-fledged” humanoid housekeeper; there is essentially no competition, and the whole concept is state-of-the-art.

The people willing to buy the Neo are only a small handful of people who see the time they gain from/by Neo as more valuable than the money they’ve spent on it. 

There are, of course, safety concerns as well. Even in a household, Neo can make dangerous mistakes. 

Envision Neo taking care of an elderly person, getting the medication wrong, or giving it at the wrong time could mean a trip to the hospital. Could Neo place something flammable into the oven? Leave the stove on? Drop a heavy object on someone? 

Such scenarios can lead to newly shaped legal actions, specifically for humanoid robots and the companies responsible.

The promise is breathtaking; the risk, quietly terrifying.

Dream and reality might seem far apart, but with the speed at which the world is moving, it’s hard to tell the future. And if/when that vision creeps into our lives, there will be many more questions to arise.

What are the moral implications of such use of humanoid robots? 

Would you want your kids to grow up in a household where they never have to do chores or take on any responsibility? 

What happens when ease becomes our default? Do we gain time—or lose purpose?

How will humanoid robots be integrated into social/real-world scenarios (ie, laws, regulations, etc.)?

Without a doubt, though, there will be part of the crowd that embraces this vision, the group that staggers in thought, and the party that impulsively rebels.

And if 1X Technologies' vision is successful, they will be the first “true” company to tap into this idea and become one of the next big corporations. Too bad you can’t invest in it.

The future is closer than you think. One day, you might read about it on the news.

They’re coming.

It’s late.

You hear a click as the charger detaches.

From the crack of your door, a thin red light.

Neo is moving.

Up the stairs.

Toward your kids’ room.

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