New research from Plus One Robotics indicates that Americans are more comfortable with humanoid robots when trained humans remain available to monitor operation and intervene when necessary. The company says its survey suggests rising robot autonomy may also raise expectations for human oversight, especially for tasks involving safety or personal care.
Key takeaways
- 26% of Americans name a lack of human judgment as their biggest concern about humanoid robots.
- Among respondents uncomfortable with robots performing certain tasks, 57.5% would become more comfortable if a trained person could monitor the robot or intervene when needed.
- Discomfort is highest for tasks with direct responsibility for people: 52% for robots watching children, 46% for robots performing surgery, and 39% for robots caring for elderly people.
- Plus One Robotics specializes in AI-powered robotic automation and has long promoted a model where human operators remotely assist robots when automated systems encounter situations they cannot resolve independently.
The findings raise a question for developers of humanoid and increasingly autonomous robots: whether greater technical autonomy must mean removing people from the operational loop. Erik Nieves, CEO of Plus One Robotics, says, “At Plus One, we say, ‘Robots work. People rule.’” He describes the approach as letting robots handle repetitive tasks they can do while people focus on exceptions, judgment and everything outside what the machine was designed to do. The survey suggests this human-in-the-loop model could influence public acceptance as humanoid robots move beyond industrial environments into closer interaction with people.
Source: Robotics & Automation News · Published 2026-09-25T16:13:40 · “Plus One Robotics survey finds Americans want human oversight of humanoid robots”