What happened

Marketed for household chores such as unloading dishwashers and folding laundry, the Neo robot can navigate homes autonomously for simple tasks but heavily relies on remote human operators for more complex chores through VR headsets. 

These remote sessions and constant camera, audio, and location data collection raise privacy fears as video and audio feeds stream to 1X’s servers and remote operators can see inside users’ homes in real-time. 

Law enforcement accessing stored footage could also lead to incrimination based on what the robot captures. 

The robot's limited autonomy, combined with the requirement for users to consent to extensive data collection and remote control, sparked widespread concern about privacy breaches and data misuse. 

The robot is priced at approximately USD 20,000 and is planned for release in 2026.​ 

Why it happened

The need to collect comprehensive real-world training data to improve Neo's AI systems l0ed its developer 1X Technologies to require user consent for remote human operators to control the robot and collect extensive data. 

The company's design inherently trades off privacy for functionality, with users signing broad consent that allows data transfer across borders and continuous monitoring. 

1X claims they blur faces and allow restricted zones to mitigate privacy issues, but critics argue these measures are inadequate and that the company's generic privacy policies lack transparency and robust accountability.