Why Automate This? Exploring Correlations Between Desire for Robotic Automation, Invested Time and Well-Being

Abstract

Understanding the motivations underlying the human inclination to automate tasks is vital for developing robots that fit seamlessly into daily life. Accordingly, we ask: are individuals more inclined to automate activities based on the time they consume or the feelings experienced while performing them? This study explores these preferences and whether they vary across different social groups (i.e., gender category and income level). Leveraging data from the BEHAVIOR-1K dataset, the American Time-Use Survey, and the American Time-Use Survey Well-Being Module, we investigate the relationship between the desire for robot automation, time spent, and associated feelings— Happiness, Meaningfulness, Sadness, Painfulness, Stressfulness, or Tiredness. Our key findings show that, despite common assumptions, time spent on activities does not strongly predict automation preferences; instead, happiness and pain are the strongest indicators. We also identify differences by gender and economic level: Women prefer to automate stressful activities, whereas men prefer to automate those that make them unhappy; mid-income individuals prioritize automating less enjoyable and meaningful activities, while low and high-income show no significant correlations. We hope our research helps motivate the design of robots that align with user priorities, moving domestic robotics toward more socially relevant solutions. All data and an interactive tool are publicly available at https://robin-lab.cs.utexas.edu/why-automate-this/.