Want AI to Do Your Chores? It Already Does.

There's a common sentiment among those less than excited by the promise - or threat - of AI:

I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do laundry and dishes.

This sentiment resonates with many who bristle at the notion of AI-generated art (or 'art' as they see it), and instead would prefer a vision of a future where AI and robots alleviate us from all those mundane tasks, granting us the freedom to pursue creative endeavors.

On the surface of it, it’s a compelling argument. Before you imagine Rosie the Robot folding your laundry, have you considered the robots you already have?

Check out your laundry, and you’re likely to find a washing machine there.

Check out your kitchen, and you’re likely to find a dishwasher there.

We’ve already solved 80% of the laundry and dishes-problem.

They are household robots that save us hours of manual labor every week vs doing it manually, which is what we used to do. It's just that it was so long ago, most of us don't remember those days, leading us to take these conveniences for granted - a feature of humanity that it has a seemingly endless capacity for.

On average, a typical household saves:

·????? 8-10 hours per week by using a washing machine

·????? 4-5 hours per week by using a dishwasher

·????? 2-3 hours per week by using a robot vacuum cleaner

Add in the time saved by slow cookers, pressure cookers, rice cookers, robotic lawn mowers, and clothes dryers, and it's pretty obvious that we've already embraced automation to handle our chores. That’s over 15 hours a week, gifted to us by machines, yet allegedly our paintbrushes remain dry, and our notebooks empty.

Despite all these innovations, many of us still struggle to find time for art, writing, or other passions. Certainly, work is partly to blame here, but research doesn’t support the notion that we would have just added that many hours to our working days.

If not art, what are we doing with the time we've reclaimed?

Well, we watch almost 3 hours per day of television / streaming services, and spend about 2 hours per day on social media. That alone is more screen time per week than all our robots have saved us.

Turns out the problem isn't solely about developing more AI and robots to tackle more household tasks; it's about intentional time management and prioritizing activities that fulfill us.

While AI continues to evolve, promising even more sophisticated home assistants in the near future, the onus is on us to ensure that the time saved is directed towards what truly enriches our lives.

Let us return to this:

I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do laundry and dishes.

Well, when you’ve loaded the dishwasher, maybe pick up that paintbrush, the book, or pen instead of your smartphone and streaming service.

And using AI for art and writing? You could do that, too, but nobody’s forcing you to. While AI should never force your hand, how some organizations are approaching it might. That unfortunate situation is what we’ll explore next.

Meanwhile, the household robots have already done their part.

Now it's time to do yours.