New insights on automation in household chores and its impact
Recent research from Oxford University indicates that about 39 percent of time spent on household tasks could be automated over the next decade. The study appears in a major peer reviewed journal and highlights how technology may reshape daily life by taking over routine activities such as cleaning, cooking, and caregiving. The finding adds to a growing conversation about how automation could free up time for other pursuits within homes across North America and beyond.
Earlier work in the field shows that people aged 15 to 64 in the United Kingdom dedicate roughly 43 percent of their work and school hours to unpaid household chores. This includes cooking, cleaning, and caring for children or older relatives. The gender dimension remains clear: men typically spend less time on housework than women, a gap that has been persistent across generations. These patterns help explain how automation might shift not just routines but the distribution of labor at home.
In the latest study, researchers gathered expert opinions to forecast which of seventeen common home and care tasks could be automated in the coming ten years. The evaluation involved thirty nine AI and related technology experts from the United Kingdom and Japan alike, offering a cross cultural perspective on what smart systems might achieve in everyday life. The experts were asked to assess how tasks ranging from shopping to caregiving could be transformed by automated tools and devices, and they provided an average forecast across all topics examined.
The consensus across the panel is that an average of thirty nine percent of the time currently spent on household chores could be automated within ten years. This projected share reflects a balance of technological feasibility, consumer adoption, and the evolving design of home automation ecosystems. It also suggests a meaningful reduction in time spent on routine tasks for many households, with potential ripple effects for work-life balance and productivity at home.
Among the seventeen tasks considered, grocery shopping emerged as the most automable. A majority of the experts believed that about sixty percent of the time spent on shopping could be handled by automation in the near future. In contrast, the task judged least automatable was physical childcare, with opinions clustering around roughly one fifth of the activity being amenable to automation. The wide spread between these ends of the spectrum highlights how tasks that require nuanced human interaction and safety considerations resistance to automation at current levels of technology.
Geographic and demographic nuances appeared in the study’s tone, with British participants, particularly male experts, expressing more optimism about the progress and timing of automation advances. This kind of optimism can influence strategic planning in business and policymaking as organizations seek to align product development, labor markets, and social services with emerging automated solutions. The authors emphasize that expert opinions do not just predict future trends; they can actively shape them through investment, policy, and consumer expectations.
In sum, the research points toward a future where many routine home tasks are partially automated, potentially saving substantial time for households. The analysis underscores the importance of considering cultural and gender differences when interpreting forecasts and designing technology that serves diverse households. While automation holds promise for efficiency and convenience, it also raises questions about workforce implications, skills, and equitable access to new tools. This ongoing dialogue will influence how companies, governments, and citizens navigate the next decade of home automation. [Source attribution: PLOS ONE study and related literature]