Soon humanoid robots will stop being just impressive videos and will begin to operate on a large scale within the economy, 1X Technologies, a robotics company based in Norway and the United States, announced a strategic alliance with EQT, a global Private Equity giant.

The agreement establishes a structure to deploy up to 10,000 NEO humanoid robots in companies in IQT's vast portfolio, which brings together more than 300 companies in sectors such as logistics, manufacturing, healthcare and industrial operations. If completed, the plan would represent one of the largest commercial deployments ever announced in the still young humanoid robotics industry.

It is not a guaranteed purchase because IQT manages nearly 267 billion euros in assets and each company in the portfolio decides individually whether it will adopt robots, but the alliance creates a powerful commercial shortcut, 1X becomes a preferred supplier for hundreds of potential clients without having to start from scratch in each negotiation. It is like having direct access to an already structured ecosystem.

The most impressive point is the scale because talking about 10,000 humanoids operating in real environments, warehouses, factories, hospitals, takes robotics out of the experimental stage and pushes the technology into the territory of continuous operation, according to 1X, the first pilot projects should begin in the United States in 2026 with expansion to Europe and Asia shortly after.

This move also reveals a change in narrative. After promoting the child as a domestic companion, 1X reinforces that the industrial environment remains the primary field, that is where repetition, security and labor shortages make humanoids economically viable and where investors want to see concrete returns, not just charismatic displays.

If thousands of humanoid robots start working alongside people in the coming years, the obligatory question is what will they do with all the humans who will lose their jobs? I think they already thought about that answer.