It is a problem in the sense that companies could commercialize robots for the home if there were applications for the robots. Currently the hardware is good (Honda first debuted ASIMO 14 years ago). Commercializing the hardware would drive costs down, which would allow us to do more widespread research on AI. Currently a decent robotics research platform costs more than a Tesla Model S, and until recently they were 10x more expensive.

The "AI problem" is the fact that robots don't have many applications until we have AI. The problem can be eliminated by making the hardware useful even without AI. This does not mean people will stop working on AI, just that robotics hardware development can be decoupled from AI development. More robots out there will make it even easier to develop AI for robotic platforms.

Your Adderall comment seems to be a way of poking fun at me, and if so does not seem to contribute to this discussion. I thought I contributed something thoughtful to HN. Would you prefer I just make snarky comments? I left Slashdot years ago so I could find people who make an effort to think and communicate - lets do that here.

I appreciated your comment. Fwiw I think a lot of people here do make an effort to think and communicate. HN has brilliant technical and intellectual discussions interspersed with snide jabs and throwaway put-downs. Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater :).

Thanks! Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I've been lurking for a long time, and I'm enjoying actually contributing my thoughts today. I hope to make a habit of it. :)