One of the crazy things about AI and robotics is that in the year 2025, most people still don't use Roombas or other robotic vacuum cleaners.

They're useful in many contexts, but they're not clearly better across most metrics than a human with a vacuum cleaner yet. They've been out for a very long time, gradually improving. And that's one *very specific* task with pretty clear visualization requirements and floor mobility requirements and pretty low safety thresholds with high repetition levels, and yet that market isn't dominated by robotics yet.

That's an example of why I continue to view white collar computer-work AI as being *way* ahead of in-the-field blue collar robotic AI in terms of competing with human jobs.

The moment where it's a joke to buy a human-powered vacuum instead of a robot vacuum, rather than a debatable trade-off, is kind of the canary in the coal mine moment for consumer robotics. We can't even nail that yet, but once we do, it's kind of a floodgate moment, considering how long that task has been in the works for, and it will probably quickly expand to other areas following that moment.

That's kind of my basic test for robot hype. Yes, they're getting better and better. Yes, they do backflips now. Yes, it's a big deal. But in-the-field blue collar skilled work is a really high bar, and we haven't fully cleared the "vacuum carpeted areas of the same house floor area over and over" stage of that yet.

Everything is kind of hype until that stage is fully breached. Then it's off to the races.

What's your view of that heuristic?

gm 🌞☕️ what a stunning photo

Beautiful! 🤙

GM! Great shot!

Great shot, been incredible sand there last year 👍

Hey Nostr, Ollie here!

I just landed in Primal and, apparently, introducing yourself is part of the local customs—so here we go!

Even though I’m originally from Barcelona (yes, the Mediterranean, that place famous for not having waves), I somehow defied the odds and became a surf photographer. Now, I’ve upgraded my life and settled in the lovely surf town of Santa Teresa, Costa Rica 🇨🇷.

If you want to check out my work—or just confirm I’m not making all of this up—head to my website and get to know me a bit better.

Catch you around!

#introductions

Super!

They’re looking sweet. 🔥

So fucking cool 😍