If a humanoid robot at home breaks a vase, injures a guest or gets stuck in the hallway, who pays? In the UK there is now an insurance answer: specialist insurer Adrian Flux is offering customers a policy for domestic robots, underwritten by Texas-based Tokio Marine HCC.
The cover sits alongside standard home insurance and targets a market that does not yet exist. The two companies expect the first domestic robots to reach British homes from 2027. In the US, demand is already visible, with some robotics and AI companies launching models at around $20,000. JPMorgan, in September, indicated that the $10-12 per hour mark is the cost threshold beyond which humanoids become more cost-effective than human workers.
The policy covers three areas. The first is damage to, and theft of, the robot itself. The second is any damage it causes to the home or to belongings. The third is personal liability, if the machine injures someone or damages their property. An emergency recovery provision also applies: after a sudden, unforeseen malfunction, the robot can be secured and safely disabled.
"As robots start to arrive in people's homes, we wanted to provide clarity on who is responsible if something goes wrong," says Gerry Bucke, general manager at Adrian Flux. The firm points to its driverless car policy, launched in 2016, and promises updates as the technology and its risks evolve.
The issue reaches beyond the home. Investment in humanoids is growing across sectors: Chinese carmaker Chery uses them in its operations, and another firm has demonstrated them in healthcare. Elon Musk predicted thousands of Optimus robots in Tesla factories by the end of 2025 and still believes the project will succeed.
Liability remains the open question. While domestic robots are few, a dedicated policy is a niche product. Once they arrive in larger numbers, who answers for damage will become an everyday problem, and contracts will have to keep up.
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