Robots are taking over thanks to one major society change
Once the preserve of science fiction, household robots are slowly becoming part of everyday life
Household robots are booming - thanks to millennials.
A new report has revealed our mechanical friends are increasingly taking on our household chores with sales of robot vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers on the up.
Aviva's latest 'How We Live' report shows how one in ten homes owns a robot vacuum cleaner and a further one in seven plans to buy one this year, meaning they are likely to be the most in-demand technology item of 2025.
The report puts the boom down to young people being keen to make their lives easier with robots being most popular with those aged 25 to 34.
It is estimated nearly one in five people in this age category already owns one and a further one in four plans to purchase one in the next 12 months, it says.
The performance of robot vacuum cleaners has improved noticeably in recent years.
Just last month scientists revealed they had reprogrammed a robot vacuum cleaner to help charge a phone and assist in a home workout because they think the machines are currently too 'idle'.
Boffins from the University of Bath say the increasingly popular domestic appliances are, on average, in use for less than two hours per day, but could be working considerably harder - with some modifications.
To prove their point, they retrained a Roomba device to carry out a range of other chores, and outlined many more possible tasks it could do such as playing with a cat and watering the plants.
Such robots 'are perceived as limited, single-task devices but there is a strong argument that they are under-used for practical tasks', said Yoshiaki Shiokawa, the author of the study, external.
The global household robots market size was valued at $10.3bn (£7.7bn) in 2023 and is anticipated to hit $24.5bn (£18.4) by 2028, meaning such devices are an increasingly common sight in people's homes.
The latest models use light detection and ranging technology and cameras to build a map of their surroundings while tracking their position to ensure better cleaning. British consumers spent more than £300 million on robot lawn mowers last year, and the market is expected to more than double over the next five years as new technology further improves the performance of the devices.
Other popular technologies include wireless charging stations and security systems. Almost one in three homes have installed smart doorbells and a similar proportion have smart security cameras linked to their phones. Hannah Davidson, of Aviva, said: 'Robotics and smart homes are changing the way we live, offering convenience and security like never before.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
Temu helps UK local businesses boom, sparking a wave of community success
Metro journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more Us Brits love a bargain, so it's no surprise that when direct-from-factory platform Temu landed on UK soil two years ago, shoppers flocked to it in their droves. With prices as low as £1.88 and an enormous range of items, including quite literally everything from tech accessories to trendy homeware, Temu quickly became the destination for budget-savvy Brits looking to spend less. What's really surprising about Temu's takeover though, is the unexpected boom it's sparked for small British businesses signed up to the site. One business, Leeds-based retailer Spot On-Line (SOL) known for its affordable home and craft supplies, saw daily sales surge from £200 to a whopping £1,500 in just four weeks after joining the e-commerce platform. That's a jaw-dropping increase of 650%! In fact, the company brought in £72,000 in gross revenue during its first full month on Temu, enough for the team to invest in a brand new distribution centre to keep up with the surge in demand. At a time when many small businesses are feeling the pressure from high inflation and cautious consumer spending post-Brexit and Covid, it's a real boost for the local area too. Marketplace Director at SOL, Spencer Saunders, said: '[It's] the strongest start we've had on any channel,' adding that it was great to see 'net sales take off and growth build so quickly.' The second SOL site will focus entirely on fulfilling online orders through Temu, which is expected to create new jobs in logistics and operations, and also offer more work for other businesses in the local supply chain. Known for its huge selection and ultra-low prices, Temu has quickly become one of the most downloaded apps in the UK, and it's making big waves in the world of online shopping. A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research says UK households could save up to £3,000 a year by shopping through platforms like Temu that cut out the middleman. In South London, a salsa group danced at a local festival with matching outfits and coordinated moves…without spending a fortune. They struggled with finding costumes that suited different body types within a budget. Then they found Temu. 'We didn't want the team to spend too much on their outfits for performances, but we still needed to look cohesive,' said Anh Vo, founder of the SASalsa dance group. 'I'm so glad we found something inexpensive that tied the whole routine together.' They're among millions across the UK turning to Temu for affordable everyday items. A recent Ipsos survey found shoppers in six countries (including the UK) saved an average of 24%, with over 70% saying they'd recommend it to others. 'Price remains a key purchasing driver, especially during tough economic times,' commented Wittmann, Managing Director of ibi research. Whether you're a local seller or a savvy shopper, it's pretty clear that Temu is a game-changer for both businesses and bargain hunters. With its unbeatable prices and wide range of products, it's not just revolutionising how we shop, but also helping local companies thrive in an increasingly challenging retail environment. Designated a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act in 2024, Temu is now subject to the EU's most stringent risk oversight rules. Its compliance system includes vetting all sellers, monitoring listings through technology and human review, and removing non-compliant products through a responsive takedown process. Temu also partners with top testing agencies like TÜV Rheinland and Eurofins to ensure product safety. The platform uses automated tools and a multilingual team to detect and remove intellectual property rights violations and maintains an online portal for brands to report infringements directly. Its app is certified under the MASA cybersecurity framework by DEKRA, the respected Germany testing agency. Temu's impact on the e-commerce industry has been widely recognized. It was named 'eCommerce of the Year' at Spain's eAwards 2025 and ranked among the top 10 platforms at the Ecommerce Italia Awards. In the U.S., USA TODAY included Temu in its 'America's Best Customer Service 2025' list. In Europe, the platform is winning over users. Ipsos found that 77% believe Temu delivers strong value, nearly 70% would recommend it to others, and 80% expect to maintain or increase their spending in 2025. The platform is also encouraging entrepreneurship. In the UK alone, 14% of local buyers say Temu has helped them start or grow a business. Many of these new ventures have already resulted in job creation and direct economic benefits to their communities. And, as the platform continues to grow, it looks like Temu will play an even bigger role in reshaping the future of British shopping. Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Share your views in the comments below MORE: Dunelm's big homeware sale is here – with up to 50% off bedding, furniture and more MORE: Nobody's Child now has a whole page dedicated to dresses with pockets MORE: This skincare product completely transformed my skin – I get everyone to use it! Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Telegraph
Women shouldn't drink alcohol, say scientists. These are the facts
We cling tightly to the studies that say the odd glass of red is healthy, reminding us how it's packed with polyphenols and brings down your stress levels to boot. But in April, the World Cancer Research Fund ruled that women should be avoiding alcohol just as strenuously as cigarettes as 'any amount of alcohol increases breast cancer risk'. With the average British woman drinking nine units of alcohol each week, this is bad news. These days we cringe when we see characters in old movies pull out the cigarettes at the first hint of drama. It might have been normal decades ago, but we have come to see smoking as a habit that's uniquely bad for our health. Now, scientists believe that our favourite national pastime could be just as dangerous, for women at least. Here is what we know and how much you can get away with drinking without significantly raising your risk. Why does alcohol cause cancer, and why is it so risky for women? It's not what any of us want to hear, but alcohol is 'a known carcinogen,' says Britta Stordal, an associate professor in cancer research at Middlesex University. When you drink alcohol, 'your body turns it into acetaldehyde, which is a compound known to cause cancer,' she explains. For this reason, 'any amount of alcohol that you drink increases your risk of cancer'. The World Cancer Research Fund has advised that to reduce our risk of bowel cancer, we should restrict alcohol; however, to reduce breast cancer risk, women should avoid alcohol reality is that drinking alcohol is especially likely to lead to breast cancer rather than other cancers. 'Alcohol is turned into acetaldehyde primarily in your liver, but this process can also happen inside of breast tissue,' Prof Stordal says. 'We also know that drinking alcohol increases your oestrogen levels, which can also increase cancer risk in women.' There is a 'dose response' involved in breast cancer risk, says Dr Harriet Rumgay, an epidemiologist at the World Health Organization in its international agency for research on cancer. This means that 'the more alcohol you drink, the greater your risk,' she says. Though smoking is 'still much more harmful to us than alcohol when it comes to all of the consequences for your health, the evidence does say that women should try to limit their alcohol consumption as much as possible to reduce their breast cancer risk, as 8 per cent of all breast cancer cases in women are attributable to drinking [alcohol],' Dr Rumgay says. More than two bottles of wine a week Women who drink two bottles of wine a week are at a 27 per cent greater risk of developing breast cancer than women who don't drink, says Dr Rumgay. Of 100 women who drink two bottles of wine every week, around 14 would develop breast cancer over the course of their lives, not taking into account factors like weight, genetic risk and whether or not they smoke. This compares with the number of non-drinking women who will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives, a figure that's at 11 in 100. If you're keen on wine, you might like to have a large glass most nights with dinner, bringing you up to at least two bottles of wine drunk each week. In units, that's equivalent to nine pints of beer or cider throughout the week, or nine double-shot cocktails. According to the World Health Organization, drinking two bottles of wine a week is in 'the middle category of risk, rather than being judged as high risk,' says Dr Rumgay. For a postmenopausal woman, however, drinking in this way could lead to 'a 27 per cent higher risk of developing breast cancer,' says Dr Rumgay. Postmenopausal women are affected differently to premenopausal women when it comes to breast cancer risk. Scientists are still trying to determine why that is. 'It might just be a fact of age, because as you age, your cells have more of a chance to divide and mutate, leading to cancer,' says Dr Rumgay. 'But postmenopausal women also have different amounts of hormones in their systems. For these women, drinking alcohol could be more likely to cause breast cancer, because the increase in oestrogen that comes with drinking alcohol causes more cell proliferation, where your body's cells divide to produce more of themselves. Whenever this happens, there is the risk that one of those cells will mutate and become cancerous.' Fourteen units of alcohol a week Women who drink 14 units of alcohol a week are at a 22 per cent greater risk of developing breast cancer than women who don't drink, says Dr Rumgay. Of 100 women who drink 14 units of alcohol every week, around 14 would develop breast cancer over the course of their lives, not taking into account factors like weight, genetic risk and whether or not they smoke. One in seven women in Britain drink more than 14 units a week, the 'low-risk' guideline set by the Government, and they are at a 22 per cent greater risk of developing breast cancer than women who don't drink. Drinking 14 units of alcohol every week, equivalent to six medium glasses of wine, would give you a 14.4 per cent chance of developing breast cancer over the course of your life, not including other factors like genetic risk, weight and whether or not you smoke. But what about the much-quoted government advice that 14 units a week is the safe limit on drinking for women? When it comes to breast cancer risk, 'this is quite outdated advice,' says Prof Stordal. 'I suspect that the 14-unit guideline doesn't properly take cancer risk into account. Instead it's likely based more on issues like liver damage, and is a combination of what the health research suggests is sensible and what people are already doing in a specific country.' Canada has recently introduced alcohol guidelines that explain the increased risk of cancer with the number of units that you consume. 'I'd love to see the UK bring this in instead, just so that people can be aware,' says Prof Stordal. 'I certainly didn't know about the extent of the risk for a long time.' According to Alcohol Change UK, just one drink per day (1.25 units) can increase your breast cancer risk by 7 per cent. Smoking, either regularly or occasionally, leads to a 7 per cent increased risk of breast cancer, and of 100 women that currently smoke, 12 will develop breast cancer over the course of their lives. 'Smoking is worse for your health for a huge number of reasons, however, so I wouldn't want people to think that it's safer to smoke than to drink,' says Dr Rumgay. A small glass of wine with dinner every day Women who drink a small glass of wine every day, equivalent to around 10 units a week, are at a 15 per cent greater risk of developing breast cancer than women who don't drink, says Dr Rumgay. Of 100 women who have a small glass of wine every day, around 13 would develop breast cancer over the course of their lives, not taking into account factors like weight, genetic risk and whether or not they smoke. Much alcohol risk research looks at everyday drinking. The facts are in: having a single drink a day, four times or more each week, can lead to a 20 per cent greater risk of early death. When it comes to breast cancer, the risks escalate further. A report by the American Institute for Cancer Research found in 2017 that one glass of wine a day increased the risk of cancer by 9 per cent in postmenopausal women, and by 5 per cent in premenopausal women. Studies such as this tend to use the WHO's definition of a standard drink: a drink containing 10g of pure alcohol, equivalent to a small glass of wine. So having just one tiny glass a day could be having a big impact on your health, and while it may keep you from being too tipsy, 'there's not enough evidence to say whether having food with your wine is any better for your cancer risk, though this is something that research could tell us in the future,' says Dr Rumgay. Only drinking at the weekend Women who drink eight double-shot cocktails or eight medium glasses of wine over the course of a weekend are at a 24 per cent greater risk of developing breast cancer than women who don't drink, says Dr Rumgay. Of 100 women who have eight drinks of this size every weekend, around 14 would develop breast cancer over the course of their lives, not taking into account factors such as weight, genetic risk and whether or not they smoke. Women who drink four of these drinks over the course of a weekend, meanwhile, are at a 12 per cent greater risk of developing breast cancer than women who don't drink. Of 100 women who have four drinks of this size every weekend, around 13 would develop breast cancer over the course of their lives. While having alcohol-free days can improve your health, there are added dangers to drinking large amounts of alcohol in one sitting, says Dr Rumgay. One study she worked on in the past found that 'the risk of breast cancer was increased by 40 per cent in women that had had any occasion of heavy episodic drinking in the year leading up to the research,' she says. We might not think of it as such, but the WHO classes 'heavy episodic drinking' or binge drinking as consuming 60g of pure alcohol or more in a single drinking session. That's equivalent to just over two large glasses of wine. Research into the effects of weekend-only drinking is still ongoing, but 'premenopausal women who binge drink seem to be twice as likely to develop breast cancer,' says Prof Stordal. 'There is some confidence in the notion that having this carcinogenic compound in your system in high concentrations after a weekend of drinking could be more dangerous compared with having the same quantity over the course of a longer period.' One drink a few times a week Women who have one drink three times a week are at a 9 per cent greater risk of developing breast cancer than women who don't drink, says Dr Rumgay. Of 100 women who have one drink three times a week, around 12 would develop breast cancer over the course of their lives, not including other factors like genetic risk, weight and whether or not they smoke. Having a break between the days that you visit the pub or have a glass of wine with your dinner is certainly good for your health, says Dr Rumgay. 'Drinking frequently can lead to systemic inflammation of the body,' she explains. 'If you cut the number of days that you drink, or spread them out, then it's possible that your body has more time to recover from this inflammatory state, which could potentially avoid increasing your risk of cancer.' Even this amount of alcohol can increase your cancer risk, however. Another study that Dr Rumgay worked on found that 'having just half a standard drink every day increases breast cancer risk by 4 per cent,' she says. One drink once a week Women who have one drink once a week are at a 3 per cent greater risk of developing breast cancer than women who don't drink, says Dr Rumgay. Of 100 women who have one drink a week, around 11 would develop breast cancer at some point in their lives, not taking into account other factors like genetic risk, weight and whether or not they smoke. The same amount of non-drinking women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives More than 40 per cent of women in Britain drink at least once a week. The effects of having one drink each week are hard to study, however, as 'most people either drink more than once a week or don't drink at all,' says Dr Rumgay. The numbers still show that even this much alcohol consumption can increase your risk of breast cancer – though you might see a 3 per cent increased risk as something you're willing to tolerate. One drink a few times a month Women who have one drink every other week are at a 2 per cent greater risk of developing breast cancer than women who don't drink, says Dr Rumgay. Of 100 women who have one drink a few times a month, around would develop breast cancer at some point in their lives, not taking into account other factors such as genetic risk, weight and whether or not they smoke. Again, there isn't a lot of research into this pattern of drinking, though 'any amount of alcohol still increases your risk of breast cancer,' says Dr Rumgay. 'The simple advice I always give is reduction,' says Prof Stordal. 'Whether that's cutting down to once a week or once every few weeks, whatever you can do will benefit you.' One drink every few months Women who have fewer than six drinks over the course of a whole year are 0.3 per cent more likely to develop breast cancer than women who don't drink. Of 100 women who have one drink fewer than six times a year, 11 would develop breast cancer at some point in their lives, not taking into account other factors like genetic risk, weight and whether or not they smoke. So while no amount of drinking is completely safe, you may be pleased to know that you can celebrate with a drink a few times a year and only increase your risk of breast cancer marginally, 'though the general consensus is that anything more than zero does raise your risk,' says Dr Rumgay.
Wales Online
6 hours ago
- Wales Online
Elton John says ‘we will not back down' in awards speech addressing AI concerns
Elton John says 'we will not back down' in awards speech addressing AI concerns The Government has repeatedly rejected changes to the Data (Use and Access) Bill, proposed by the House of Lords, aimed at strengthening protections for the creative sector Sir Elton John said "we will not back down" in an awards speech where he pleaded with the UK Government to "do the right thing" by strengthening copyright protections when artificial intelligence (AI) models learn from creatives' content. The Government has repeatedly rejected changes to the Data (Use and Access) Bill, proposed by the House of Lords, aimed at strengthening protections for the creative sector. Peers have attempted to amend the Bill by adding a commitment to introduce transparency requirements, aiming to ensure copyright holders are able to see when their work has been used and by who. Veteran rock singer Sir Elton, 78, who picked up the Creators' Champion Award at Billboard's Global Power Players Event on Wednesday, is among hundreds of creatives who have raised concerns over AI companies using copyrighted work without permission. In an Instagram post he thanked the US magazine for the award and said: "Supporting the next generation of British artists is one of the major driving forces in my life. "As everyone in that room was aware, the Data Bill is currently looming over our industries and the future livelihood of all artists. It is an existential issue. Article continues below "Earlier this evening, the Government was defeated for an unprecedented fifth time by the House of Lords who have backed the crucial amendment to the Bill. "I am now calling on the Government to do the right thing and get transparency added to the Bill. "Administration of copyright must be transparent. And it must have an artist's full permission. These two principles are the bedrock of our industry. They must be included in the data Bill as a backstop. "Let's be clear – we want to work with the Government. We are not anti AI. We are not anti big tech. We are not against Labour. We want a solution that brings all parties together in a way that's transparent, fair and allows artists to maintain control of their work. "We will not let the Government forget their promise to support our creative industries. We will not back down and we will not quietly go away. This is just the beginning. "Thank you, Billboard. And thank you Baroness Kidron and The House of Lords for standing up for our world-beating artists, journalists, playwrights, designers and authors." Article continues below The prolonged impasse and the conduct of proceedings at Westminster now threatens the future of the whole Bill and its measures, including a crackdown on deepfake porn abuse.
