As personal assistants, how will humanoid robots disrupt the dominant position of smartphones and personal computers?

Humanoid Robots: More Than Just "Walking Smartphones," They're the Next Computing Platform

This is an interesting question. Let's turn back the clock 20 years. At that time, if someone had asked, "How will smartphones disrupt the dominance of Nokia and personal computers?" many might have found it hard to imagine. But today, the answer is self-evident.

Humanoid robots will disrupt smartphones and PCs with similar, but even more profound, logic. This is because they fundamentally change the way we interact with the digital world.

Simply put, phones and computers are "information windows" through which we "pull" information and services by touching, clicking, and typing. Humanoid robots, on the other hand, are "agents in the physical world," living among us and actively "executing" tasks for us.

This disruption is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

1. From "Fingertip Interaction" to "Seamless Interaction"

• Now (Phones/PCs): Our interactions are confined to a screen. You need to unlock your phone, find an app, and then tap to operate it. Even voice assistants are trapped within the device, unable to interact with the physical world.
• Future (Humanoid Robots): Interaction will revert to humanity's most natural forms—language, gestures, and even a glance. Imagine this:
  • In the morning, the robot sees you wake up, actively draws the curtains, and tells you the day's weather, instead of you picking up your phone to check.
  • While getting dressed, you say, "Make me a cup of coffee," and the kitchen robot starts working. You don't need to open any app.
  • As you leave, you ask, "Where are my keys?" and the robot uses its visual capabilities to help you find them, or even hands them directly to you.

In this mode, the "interface" disappears. You no longer "use" a device; instead, you live naturally with a companion.

2. Bridging the Digital and Physical Worlds

This is the most fundamental difference. Phones and computers can only process information, while humanoid robots can translate information into physical actions.

• What can a phone do? It can tell you step-by-step how to cook a dish based on a recipe app.

• What can a robot do? It can directly download the recipe and then go into the kitchen to prepare the dish itself.

• What can a phone do? It can remind you, "You have a meeting at 3 PM."

• What can a robot do? It will walk over to remind you at 2:50 PM and hand you your laptop and a cup of water.

A phone is your "digital secretary," while a robot is your "digital + physical butler." It can help you pick up packages, tidy the room, care for pets, tutor children with homework... these are all areas that phones and PCs can never reach.

3. From "Passive Tool" to "Proactive Companion"

Phones and computers are entirely passive tools; if you don't touch them, they remain unresponsive. Humanoid robots, however, with their powerful sensors (cameras, radar, microphones, etc.) and AI brains, can understand their environment and your intentions, thus becoming "proactive."

• If it sees a spill on the floor, it will proactively clean it up, rather than waiting for you to discover it and command it.
• Through your tone and expression, it can sense that you might be in a bad mood today and proactively play your favorite music.
• It can remember the location of every item in your home, becoming a "living database" to help you manage your entire household.

This proactivity allows it to evolve from a "tool" into a "companion" or "assistant," with value and dependency far exceeding that of a phone.

So, will phones and computers disappear?

They won't disappear entirely, but their central role will be replaced, and their functions will change.

• Smartphones: They might become a "remote control for robots." When you're not home, you could use your phone screen to check on things or issue remote commands to the robot. It might also continue to serve as a hub for personal privacy and identity authentication.
• Personal Computers: They will further revert to their essence as "productivity tools." For creative work requiring high intensity, precision, and long periods of focus (such as programming, design, writing, research), the PC's large screen and keyboard-mouse combination will remain the most efficient.

In summary:

If PCs gave us the ability to "process information," and smartphones gave us the ability to "access information anytime, anywhere," then humanoid robots will give us the ability to "directly translate information and intentions into physical reality."

It's not simply putting legs on a phone; rather, it's creating a brand new computing platform deeply integrated with the physical world. Our relationship with technology will shift from "looking down at screens" to "looking up at the world," with robots serving as an extension of our capabilities, quietly and efficiently managing everything. This is its most disruptive aspect.