One billion humanoid robots

One billion humanoid robots

From Today, Explained by Vox

May 7, 2026 · 27 min

About this episode

Tech companies are investing in humanoid robots designed to perform human jobs.

Tech companies are betting big on robots that look like humans and do human jobs. Why, robot? This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. An Optimus humanoid robot showcased at a Tesla booth. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at ⁠vox.com/today-explained-podcast.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Sean Rameswaram

Topics covered

  • humanoid robots
  • technology
  • automation
  • future of work
  • robotics
  • AI

Keywords

  • humanoid robots
  • technology
  • automation
  • Tesla
  • Optimus
  • future of work
  • AI

Sponsors

Vox

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Tesla, Vox

Products: Optimus humanoid robot

More episodes of Today, Explained

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Today, Explained podcast page.