Embodied AI is retracing the cobot path a decade later
yongqianme · x · 2026-09-17
The author draws a historical analogy between today's embodied AI wave and the cobot industry a decade ago: service demos like coffee robots, robotic pharmacies, bartenders and retail kiosks were explored back then, but most never became large, repeatable markets. The applications that ultimately produced sustained demand were far less glamorous — machine tending, welding, palletizing, assembly, inspection and material handling inside factories and warehouses.
Related event: Embodied AI Risks Repeating the Cobots' Failed Path(4 posts)→
More from AGI Musings
- Alpha School investigation: 17 campuses on probation, Bill Ackman as shadow lead, Holmes involved — benjaminjriley · 2026-11-02
- Google's chief economist: AI will transform more jobs than it kills — gains come from redesigning workflows — danielrock · 2026-11-02
- Daniel Lemire: AI is exploding demand for boring compute, server CPUs to double — lemire · 2026-11-02
- Alignment researcher: the word "aligned" implies consistencies that don't exist — davidmanheim · 2026-11-02
- By 2035, Indian Parents Will Ask How Many Agents You Manage, Not Your Salary — theteknosaur · 2026-11-02
- Under 5% of US consumers pay for AI, yet compute demand is already forcing usage cuts — NinaDSchick · 2026-11-02