Who Owns the Machine? Reflections on Neo, AI, and the Meaning of Autonomy
At the end of October 2025, 1X Technologies' humanoid robot Neo swept through the tech world like a heatwave. This sleek robot, backed by OpenAI, is touted as the first truly home-friendly physical assistant.
Priced at around $20,000 or $499 per month for leasing, Neo can clean, carry items, and even learn new tasks through imitation. In just a few days, it became the internet's focal point — seemingly, a tireless family companion has finally arrived.
Yet, behind the cheers, a profound reflection on "autonomy" quietly unfolds. Remote control offers the illusion of convenience, but it exposes a core pain point in the AI industry: human operators still lurk in the shadows, and what happens to your privacy data?
As Curious CEO David Tomasian puts it:
"True autonomy is the only way machines can belong to us."
An Illusion: The Myth of Humanoid Robot "Autonomy"
Neo's launch is indeed exhilarating: standing 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 66 pounds, it uses tendon-driven actuators mimicking human muscles, wrapped in a soft shell for safety. Hugging Face co-founder Thomas Wolf exclaimed on X that Neo has "advanced" his timeline for home robot adoption.
In demos, Neo waters plants, opens doors, washes clothes, and scrubs dishes, turning mundane chores into something poetic and efficient.
But this excitement was quickly doused by reality. The Wall Street Journal's hands-on report reveals that many of Neo's movements are still remotely controlled in real time by "experts" via VR.
This isn't sci-fi — it's the current state of AI, where remote piloting aids companies in training models through imitation and reinforcement learning, yet reduces the robot from "independent helper" to "human extension."
Tomasian sharply notes that under this model, your "private robot" isn't truly private: it not only observes your life but uploads data to the cloud, fueling the manufacturer's training.
When a robot can "see" your home layout, recognize your voice, and analyze your habits — yet remains tethered to the manufacturer's servers — who does it really belong to?
From Factory to Home: The Privacy Cost Beneath Autonomy
The wave of humanoid robots is flowing from factories to living rooms. Figure AI's Figure 02 and Tesla's Optimus aim to reshape industry, while Neo pushes the vision into consumer territory — not just productivity, but companionship itself.
This trend is especially urgent in elderly care. Pilot projects in Japan, Korea, and parts of Europe are testing robots for assisting daily activities, monitoring health, and providing emotional support. But Tomasian points out: "The difference between aid and true care lies in understanding context and emotion." If data isn't encrypted and stored locally, "the robot isn't yours—it's someone else's lens."
Privacy expert Kohei Kurihara disclosed on X that Neo users must sign a waiver allowing manufacturers access to certain operational data. This "tech-for-convenience" pact hides cracks in trust. A Medium article bluntly states that this $20,000 robot "needs a human babysitter", with complex tasks requiring an appointment for "expert mode," making users feel like they're renting a "surveilled puppet."
Tomasian emphasizes that for embodied intelligence to evolve like language models, three things are essential: on-device reasoning, multimodal understanding, and encrypted autonomy. AI must not just execute commands but comprehend "why" they are given, ensuring data sovereignty belongs to the user. True care reliability stems from security and privacy, not algorithmic complexity. In other words, autonomy isn't just a technical issue — it's a social contract: Machines should embody trust, not extend surveillance.
From Embodied to Digital: AI Agents' Lessons on Autonomy
Neo's controversy reflects a deeper trend: "Autonomy" isn't confined to mechanical limbs — it's also about digital intelligence. Rather than teaching robots in your living room how to wash dishes, why not have agents on the network learn to "act on your behalf"?
AI Agents are the extension of this direction. They're not humanoid replicas but digital extensions of human will — capable of executing tasks, making decisions, and completing transactions on behalf of users, with data ownership retained by the individual.
IBM's "2025 AI Agent Report" states that Agentic AI promises an 8x productivity boost, hinging on autonomous reasoning combined with privacy protection.
Google Cloud research shows 52% of enterprises using generative AI have deployed AI Agents.
Deloitte predicts half of companies will enable Agentic AI by 2027.
Gartner forecasts that within four years, agents will autonomously handle 15% of daily decisions.
This shift redefines "autonomy": no longer machines mimicking human limbs, but agents learning to represent human intent.
XWorld: A Real-World Experiment in "Machines Belonging to People"
Amid this trend, the XWorld platform's explorations stand out. Since its 2023 launch, it has built a self-sustaining "agent economy" by combining AI training with token incentives: users can create, deploy, and monetize their own AI Agents. The integration of stablecoins makes settlements lower-friction, ensuring value flows under user control.
Today, XWorld boasts over 11 million downloads and 1 million monthly actives in its Telegram MiniApp ecosystem, with cumulative token trading volume exceeding $34.7 million.
Here, autonomy is no illusion — it's a reality co-built by users, developers, and agents: machines not only execute instructions but become "intelligence we own."
Epilogue: Who Truly Owns the Machines?
Neo reminds us: when "autonomy" becomes a selling point, oversight and trust must evolve in tandem.
The future shown by the AI Agent industry offers another possibility:
Machines are no longer just used, but truly "owned";
They no longer serve the network, but human will and data sovereignty.
XWorld's experiment may provide the answer: when "agent autonomy" merges with "user ownership," machines finally begin to belong to us.
In the future, when robots no longer need human eyes, that may be humanity's true liberation.
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From TikTok to XWORLD: Secrets of Web3 Growth
XWORLD is taking a bold step forward with the launch of its latest campaign aimed at driving mass adoption of Web3. This initiative not only highlights the company’s innovative ROI flywheel model but also introduces new features that seamlessly integrate Web2 and Web3 user experiences. With 5.4 million users and 600,000 daily active users already engaged, XWORLD is set to accelerate its growth trajectory by offering unprecedented transparency and a fair profit distribution model. This new approach promises to bridge the gap between Web2 users and the advanced world of Web3 — without users even realizing they’ve made the transition.
To truly understand the potential of XWORLD's approach, we need to explore the broader context of Web3 mass adoption and how strategies from successful Web2 platforms like TikTok can offer valuable lessons for growth in the Web3 era.
The Road to Web3 Mass Adoption
The term "Mass Adoption" has become a buzzword in the tech industry, especially in discussions about Web3. Everyone is eager to see Web3 technologies reach their full potential, but the transition from Web2 to Web3 has been slow. While some efforts like GameFi, SocialFi, and AA wallets have been launched, they haven't quite hit the mark yet. Many blame inadequate infrastructure, but the true reason lies deeper.
To fully understand the issue, we must define the goal of Mass Adoption: converting Web2 users to Web3 without them even realizing it. Success in Web3 should not depend on whether a product is labeled "Web2" or "Web3". Instead, Web3 companies must learn from the success of Web2 platforms, such as TikTok, and develop sustainable growth strategies. A perfect model for this is the ROI flywheel — an approach that has already proven its effectiveness in the Web2 world.
The Rise of TikTok and What Web3 Can Learn
TikTok's meteoric rise to fame is an excellent case study for understanding user acquisition. Within its first few months, TikTok attracted over 50 million monthly active users. Just two years later, by 2019, it had an astounding 250 million daily active users (DAU) and 500 million monthly active users (MAU).
TikTok's growth wasn't just due to its engaging content or superior features. In fact, its rapid expansion was fueled by a smart marketing strategy. TikTok invested heavily in user acquisition through digital advertising platforms like Google, applying a simple formula: spend money to acquire users, monetize them, and reinvest in acquiring more users. This continuous cycle of investment and returns formed a self-sustaining model, which we call the "ROI flywheel".
The lesson for Web3? Success is not just about having a great product. It's about establishing a commercial loop that can drive user acquisition, retention, and monetization-much like TikTok's model.
The ROI Flywheel Explained
At its core, the ROI flywheel model is a growth strategy built on three pillars:
1. User Acquisition
The first step is to acquire users through paid marketing or partnerships. The goal is to spend money to bring in users and then monetize them in a way that covers acquisition costs. Web2 platforms like TikTok used digital advertising to attract users at scale. Web3 platforms must adopt a similar approach but with added transparency and efficiency thanks to blockchain technology.
2. User Retention and Conversion
Acquiring users is just the beginning. Keeping them engaged and turning them into loyal customers is the next challenge. TikTok mastered this through personalized content and excellent user experience. For Web3, the key will be creating products that users genuinely enjoy and want to keep using, without focusing too much on the technical aspects of Web3 itself.
3. Commercialization
Finally, the monetization process. The more users you retain, the more opportunities you have to monetize. In Web2, this could be through ads, subscriptions, or partnerships. For Web3, tokenomics and blockchain transparency can enhance these monetization strategies, leading to better long-term growth.
When combined, these three elements form a continuous loop that feeds into itself. More users mean more revenue, which can be reinvested to acquire even more users, accelerating growth.
Challenges in Web3 and How XWORLD is Overcoming Them
Web3 projects face unique challenges that Web2 companies did not. For instance, Web3 products often rely on task platforms (like Galxe) or social media (like Twitter) for user acquisition. While these platforms can be effective, they come with limitations. Task platforms often struggle to create sustainable business models, while sociall media promotion can lead to inflated user numbers without actual growth.
XWORLD is different. By integrating a mature Web2 business model with the transparency and fairness of Web3, XWORLD is creating a closed-loop ROI flywheel that is poised to succeed. XWORLD's approach minimizes the reliance on traditional methods like airdrops or speculative tokens, which can often lead to unsustainable growth.
Instead, XWORLD focuses on building a solid business foundation with strong monetization capabilities, which makes it easier to scale over time. With 5.4 million users and 600,000 daily active users, XWORLD's flywheel model is already proving its effectiveness.
The Path to Mass Adoption
To achieve mass adoption, Web3 needs more than just great technology. It requires products that people actually want to use, combined with an efficient growth strategy. XWORLD's model shows that by borrowing strategies from Web2-like the ROI flywheel — and applying them to Web3, it's possible to achieve sustainable growth.
Mass adoption doesn't depend on whether a product is labeled as Web2 or Web3. Instead, it's about whether that product meets users' needs and whether the company behind it has a solid growth strategy in place. With its focus on game and application distribution, XWORLD is uniquely positioned to lead the way toward mass adoption.
Conclusion
Mass adoption is within reach, but only for companies that understand how to blend Web2 growth strategies with the unique advantages of Web3.XWORLD's integration of the ROI flywheel into its growth model is a perfect example of how this can be done effectively. By focusing on user acquisition, retention, and monetization, XWORLD is creating a scalable model that will drive Web3 into the future.
As the industry evolves, it's clear that the next big wave of Web3 growth will come from those who can attract users without them even realizing they've entered the world of Web3. XWORLD's success in applying the ROI flywheel model offers valuable lessons for any Web3 project looking to achieve mass adoption
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AI Agents x US Stock Tokenization: XWorld Leads the Future of Finance
In recent years, crypto finance has evolved rapidly: Bitcoin has secured its role as “digital gold,” DeFi sparked a wave of decentralized finance experiments, and NFTs pioneered a new form of digital asset expression. Now, another disruptive path is unfolding—the tokenization of traditional financial assets. Among these, US Stock Tokenization is emerging as one of the most promising breakthroughs.
Industry Trends: The Convergence of AI, Stablecoins, and Tokenization
Recent global developments highlight that the market is maturing quickly:
Institutional Collaboration: DBS Bank, Franklin Templeton, and Ripple jointly launched tokenized funds interoperable with stablecoins, driving real-world trading and lending use cases.
Clearer Regulation: Legislative progress like the US CLARITY Act is accelerating. Coinbase’s CEO described the trend as an “unstoppable freight train.” A clear framework will pave the way for institutional capital to enter tokenization and RWA.
Productization Path: Bitwise has filed for a “Stablecoin & Tokenization ETF,” aiming to package stablecoin and tokenization infrastructure into compliant financial products, moving the industry from experimentation to large-scale adoption.
Meanwhile, AI Agents are integrating into financial infrastructure: the Ethereum Foundation launched the dAI team to make blockchain the settlement and reputation layer for AI Agents, while Google is advancing the Agentic Payments protocol, enabling AI Agents to transact directly in stablecoins. Together, AI + Stablecoins + Tokenization are becoming the three pillars of new financial infrastructure.
US Stock Tokenization: The Next Generation of Investing
US Stock Tokenization enables traditional equities—like Apple, Tesla, and NVIDIA—to be issued as tokens backed 1:1 via licensed custodianship and on-chain mapping. Its advantages include:
Regulatory Backing: Managed by licensed custodians, redeemable tokens;
Fractionalized Access: Starting from just 1 USDT, significantly lowering entry barriers;
24/7 Trading: Free from Wall Street’s time zone restrictions, enabling round-the-clock liquidity.
This means anyone worldwide can participate in Wall Street’s core assets using stablecoins—without cumbersome account setups or high fees.
XWorld: Bringing the Future Forward
While the industry is still discussing the potential of “AI + Tokenization,” XWorld has already launched tokenized US stock trading, deeply integrating with AI Agents and stablecoin payments:
Trade Leading Assets: Coverage includes Apple, Tesla, NVIDIA, MicroStrategy, Circle, and the S&P 500;
Seamless Experience: Wallet, trading, and AI assistant combined into a single platform;
Low-Barrier, Transparent Investment: Tokens anchored to real-time stock prices, fully verifiable on-chain;
Diverse Choices: Stock tokens filterable by industry, sector, or theme.
Core data validates this model: since its 2023 launch, XWorld has surpassed 10 million downloads, built a community of over 1.14 million, and generated $22M+ revenue in 2024, with AI-driven applications continuing to expand.
Looking Ahead: An AI-Powered Investment Era
Over the next 2–3 years, US Stock Tokenization is expected to become a mainstream entry point into Web3. Combined with AI Agents and stablecoins, investing will become more intelligent and globalized:
Agents automatically rebalance portfolios in response to news and market swings;
Overnight shifts into safe-haven assets;
Cross-chain and cross-border allocation for truly global wealth management.
XWorld is not just a trading tool but a pioneer in the convergence of AI, stablecoins, and traditional finance. Investing will gradually shift from manual operations to seamless, AI Agent–driven experiences.
Conclusion
US Stock Tokenization is not just a technological breakthrough—it marks a milestone in the democratization of finance. With clearer regulations, institutional adoption, and the maturation of AI and payments infrastructure, the boundaries of on-chain finance are being redefined.
In this transformation, XWorld is leading the charge, turning “trends” into “reality.” The future of investing will be open, intelligent, and borderless.
👉 Start today: from just 1 USDT, put world-class assets in your pocket and step into the AI-powered era of investing with XWorld.
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