Rebuttal Two: Considering the extremely high cost of developing general-purpose humanoid robots, would it be wiser to allocate these resources to more pressing societal issues such as healthcare and environmental protection?

That's an excellent question, but perhaps we can look at it from a different perspective.

The question you've raised is very pertinent, and many people share similar concerns. It sounds absolutely correct and irrefutable to prioritize spending on critical issues like healthcare and environmental protection, focusing resources where they are most needed.

However, pitting "robot development" against "solving social problems" might lead us into an "either-or" thinking trap. Personally, I believe these two are not contradictory; rather, they are complementary.

1. Robots aren't here to "take money"; they're here to "help."

What is the ultimate goal of developing general-purpose humanoid robots? It's not to create expensive toys, but to enable them to tackle tasks that humans are unsuited for, unwilling to do, or cannot perform efficiently. And these very tasks are abundant in fields like healthcare and environmental protection.

• In the medical field:

  • Nurse and caregiver shortages are global challenges. Imagine a nurse who daily handles a multitude of strenuous physical tasks: turning patients, transporting medications and equipment, cleaning and disinfecting wards. These tasks are repetitive, exhausting, and consume a significant amount of time that could otherwise be spent communicating with patients or providing more specialized care. If a humanoid robot could share these physical burdens, wouldn't nurses be able to focus their energy on more valuable professional work? This could significantly alleviate pressure on the healthcare system and improve the quality of care.
  • Home-based elder care is also a major issue. A robot could assist seniors at home by reminding them to take medication, helping retrieve items, and immediately alerting in case of falls or other accidents. This would not only allow seniors to live with greater dignity but also significantly reduce the burden of elder care on families and society.

• In the environmental field:

  • Many environmental tasks involve harsh and dangerous conditions, such as nuclear waste disposal, deep-sea waste cleanup, and sample collection in highly polluted environments. Having humans perform these tasks carries extremely high risks. Deploying robots is not only safer but also allows for 24/7 uninterrupted work.
  • In disaster relief, such as earthquake or fire sites, robots can immediately enter dangerous areas to search for survivors. This is a race against death, and the efficiency and fearlessness of robots are unmatched by humans.

So, you see, robot development is precisely about providing more powerful tools and assistants for fields like healthcare and environmental protection. It's not about diluting resources; it's about building capabilities for more efficient problem-solving in the future.

2. Today's "High Costs" Pave the Way for Tomorrow's "Universal Benefit."

Any disruptive technology is extremely expensive in its early stages.

• The first computers were larger than a building, with astronomical costs, affordable only by the military and top-tier laboratories. But it was precisely that "cost-no-object" approach back then that led to today's ubiquitous mobile phones and computers, devices that have become cornerstones for advancing healthcare, education, and communication.
• DNA sequencing technology initially cost billions of dollars; now it can be done for a few hundred.

Robot development follows the same principle. Current "high-cost" investments are aimed at overcoming core technical challenges (e.g., energy, AI, precision transmission). Once these technologies are breakthroughs, mass production will rapidly drive down costs, just like with cars and mobile phones today. By then, the cost of a "robot caregiver" might be far less than employing a human caregiver for a few years, and it could serve many more people.

This is a long-term investment. We cannot abandon the hope of harvesting an entire forest in the future just because the seeds are expensive now.

3. The "Spillover Effect" of Technological R&D

Developing humanoid robots is like Formula 1 racing. F1 cars themselves are very expensive, and ordinary people can't drive them, so why do major car manufacturers still invest heavily in their development?

Because the extreme technologies applied in F1 cars—such as engine technology, aerodynamics, tire materials, and braking systems—will eventually "trickle down" to the everyday cars we drive, making our vehicles safer, more fuel-efficient, and better performing.

The same applies to humanoid robots. To make robots smarter and more agile, we need to develop more powerful AI chips, more sensitive sensors, more efficient batteries, and lighter materials. Once these technologies mature, they will certainly not be used solely for robots.

• More powerful AI chips can be used in medical image analysis, detecting early lesions faster and more accurately than doctors.
• More efficient batteries can directly drive the development of the electric vehicle and energy storage industries, aiding "carbon neutrality."
• More sensitive sensors can be used in environmental monitoring equipment to track pollution sources in real-time.

Therefore, investment in humanoid robots is actually driving the upgrade of an entire technology industry chain. Its value extends far beyond the robots themselves.

Conclusion

Investing resources in healthcare and environmental protection is certainly wise, but this does not contradict investing in frontier technologies. The correct approach should be a "two-pronged approach." We must both use existing methods to solve immediate problems and invest in more powerful tools for the future.

Abandoning the exploration of platform-level technologies like humanoid robots would be akin to giving up on a vital solution due to initial difficulties. In the short term, it might save money, but in the long term, we might lose a golden opportunity to solve fundamental problems and achieve leapfrog development.