The Hollywood Effect

Janneke on stage at National University of Singapore, Feb. 2019.

When do you think we will have robots in our homes? I was speaking at the National University of Singapore and smiled at the familiar question.

I think robots are already in our homes. They're cleaning our floors and most people are happy to let robots take over this task, because robots are pretty good at it. It’s a great use case.

Robot vacuum cleaners already make up 20% of the vacuum cleaner market and the market is expected to grow 11.2% each year between now and 2026. In February 2018, iRobot reported more than 20 million units had been sold in 2017.

It highlights the difference between our expectations and the reality of robots. I’m guessing that Hollywood has a hand in setting those expectations and possibly raising some fears about what robots can do and how they will change our lives.

It’s what I call the Hollywood Effect and it's interfering with people's ability to see the opportunities of this technology.

The Singapore talk 'For the Love of Robots' is part of a series of keynotes and workshops I’ve created to help people embrace the remarkable potential of this emerging technology both at home and at work.

Robots are not for everyone, but they will be.