Report shares the state of physical AI and robotics

The Robot Report has released a free report examining physical AI, the growing use of artificial intelligence in robots that operate in real environments. The article says robotics developers have long used AI, but the relationship has changed in recent years. Instead of depending only on deterministic programming for tasks such as navigation and object recognition, robots are increasingly designed to perceive, comprehend, decide, and act with AI. The report presents physical AI as a driver of future automation in factories, warehouses, and other settings.

Industry experts interviewed for the download discuss commercial opportunities, along with the need for domain-specific data and varied training methods. It considers whether embodied AI systems, including mobile manipulators and humanoids, could contribute to artificial general intelligence and general-purpose robotics. The report also addresses how organizations are beginning to adopt physical AI, remaining technical gaps, autonomous vehicles functioning as AI agents, network requirements for scaling and security, useful data sources, and humans’ continuing role in training.

Investment is rising alongside expectations for the field. Citing The Wall Street Journal, the article states that physical AI companies had raised more than $23 billion in venture capital during 2026 so far. Attention has centered on foundation models, industrial automation improvements, autonomous vehicles, and humanoid designs. Listed major financings are Waymo’s $16 billion Series D, Skild AI’s $1.4 billion Series C, NEURA Robotics’ $1.4 billion Series C, and Physical Intelligence’s $1 billion funding round. The article notes especially high expectations in North America, where AI both drives and supports demand for hyperscale data centers. Robots may assist in constructing and maintaining such facilities, while simulation, fleet orchestration, and reasoning increase computing needs across cloud and edge systems.