By AFP
January 8, 2026
EngineAI founder Evan Yao says the China-based maker of humanoid robots is working with US tech titans such as Amazon and Meta on giving them AI brains - Copyright AFP Patrick T. Fallon
Glenn CHAPMAN
Humanoid robots danced, somersaulted, dealt blackjack and played ping-pong at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, but some in the industry are impatient for them to become more useful, not just a promise of things to come.
As robots take their usual spotlight at the annual CES gadget fest, insiders caution that making them truly like humans will take several more years and require lots of training.
To become autonomous, humanoid robots need AI that translates what is seen and heard into actions, which is beyond the scope of today’s large language models that power tools like ChatGPT.
Training a large language model relies on massive amounts of data — mainly vacuumed up from the internet — that is of little use when it comes to human-like robots seeking to be useful in the kitchen or on a factory floor.
“If you want (robots) to learn embodied things, you have to put them inside a body,” said Henny Admoni, an associate professor at the robotics institute at Carnegie Mellon University.
Humanoid Guide founder Christian Rokseth, who specializes in the technology, likened the situation to locking a child in a room and expecting it to learn about the world.
Even if the pace of development accelerated last year, particularly on the hardware side, Rokseth expressed a degree of impatience about innovation.
“They’ve shown robots dancing and doing kung fu; now show us that they can be productive,” Rokseth said.
EngineAI founder Evan Yao told AFP that the Shenzhen-based company is working with tech titans such as Amazon and Meta to give its creations AI brains.
“We are trying to simulate humans, but the robots will never become human,” Yao told AFP as one of his robots kicked in his direction.
“Because a human is emotional and much more.”
Nearby, Yiran Sui was part of a Robotera team whose humanoid robot, developed for researchers, is training to complete the Beijing marathon a few months from now.
– Factories first? –
According to the Consumer Technology Association that runs CES, the robotics industry is showing dynamism and potential.
It projects the global market will hit $179 billion by 2030.
The bulk of that growth is expected in factories, warehouses and other business operations, where robots — not necessarily humanoid ones — work in controlled environments.
But for Artem Sokolov, founder of the Humanoid robotics startup based in London, humans work in factories so robots copying their bodies can thrive there too.
South Korean automotive giant Hyundai used CES to unveil a humanoid robot called Atlas, created in collaboration with Boston Dynamics, that it plans to test in factories.
Given the training limitations, industry trackers advise caution when it comes to companies claiming to have humanoid robots that can operate without flesh-and-blood managers overseeing them.
“There has been a ton of new companies claiming that they are developing autonomous humanoid robots,” Admoni told AFP.
But “these systems tend to be teleoperated; you have a person in a suit or using controllers and every movement of that person is then translated into the robot.”
To solve the training problem, new startups are using methods such as having people wear cameras and haptic gloves while doing chores at home, according to Rokseth.
“To make robots general machines, they need to be let out in the real world,” Rokseth said, not just assembly lines or warehouses.
Nvidia CEO praises robots as ‘AI immigrants’
By AFP
January 7, 2026
Tech firms were boosted by forecast-topping earnings from chip titan Nvidia - Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP JUSTIN SULLIVAN
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang described robots as “AI immigrants” on Tuesday, arguing they could solve a global labor shortage that is hampering manufacturing.
Addressing concerns about machines replacing human workers, the leader of the world’s dominant AI chip company took the opposite stance.
“Having robots will create jobs,” Huang told 200 journalists and analysts during a 90-minute session at a Las Vegas hotel on the sidelines of the CES technology show.
“We need more AI immigrants to help us on manufacturing floors and do work that maybe we’ve decided not to do anymore,” said Huang, whose off-the-cuff remarks have become a popular CES tradition.
The gathering runs through Friday, with some 130,000 attendees.
Like every year, robots are a major presence at CES, with companies hoping they will break into the mainstream as useful devices instead of novelties.
A “robotics revolution” will compensate for labor losses from aging populations and demographic decline while boosting the economy, Huang argued.
“When the economy grows, we hire more people,” he said, sporting his signature black leather jacket.
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang speaks at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas, Nevada – Copyright AFP Patrick T. Fallon
Huang, who leads the world’s most valuable company at roughly $3.5 trillion, estimated the worker shortage reaches “tens of millions,” not thousands, due to demographic shifts.
His comments align with other Silicon Valley leaders, particularly Tesla and SpaceX’s Elon Musk, who frequently cite population decline and workforce aging as reasons to embrace automation.
Nvidia is investing heavily in providing the foundational software that can make robots work across multiple industries, including manufacturing, retail, and healthcare
By AFP
January 7, 2026
Tech firms were boosted by forecast-topping earnings from chip titan Nvidia - Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP JUSTIN SULLIVAN
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang described robots as “AI immigrants” on Tuesday, arguing they could solve a global labor shortage that is hampering manufacturing.
Addressing concerns about machines replacing human workers, the leader of the world’s dominant AI chip company took the opposite stance.
“Having robots will create jobs,” Huang told 200 journalists and analysts during a 90-minute session at a Las Vegas hotel on the sidelines of the CES technology show.
“We need more AI immigrants to help us on manufacturing floors and do work that maybe we’ve decided not to do anymore,” said Huang, whose off-the-cuff remarks have become a popular CES tradition.
The gathering runs through Friday, with some 130,000 attendees.
Like every year, robots are a major presence at CES, with companies hoping they will break into the mainstream as useful devices instead of novelties.
A “robotics revolution” will compensate for labor losses from aging populations and demographic decline while boosting the economy, Huang argued.
“When the economy grows, we hire more people,” he said, sporting his signature black leather jacket.
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang speaks at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas, Nevada – Copyright AFP Patrick T. Fallon
Huang, who leads the world’s most valuable company at roughly $3.5 trillion, estimated the worker shortage reaches “tens of millions,” not thousands, due to demographic shifts.
His comments align with other Silicon Valley leaders, particularly Tesla and SpaceX’s Elon Musk, who frequently cite population decline and workforce aging as reasons to embrace automation.
Nvidia is investing heavily in providing the foundational software that can make robots work across multiple industries, including manufacturing, retail, and healthcare
Humanoid robotics: A bubble set to burst?
By Dr. Tim Sandle
By Dr. Tim Sandle
SCIENCE EDITOR
DIGITAL JOURNAL
January 5, 2026
A man works on the electronics of Jules, a humanoid robot from Hanson Robotics using AI, at the recent International Telecommunication Union AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva - Copyright AFP/File Valentin FLAURAUD
The latest investment data shows that investor interest in humanoid robotics is accelerating rapidly within the broader AI market. According to some analysts, however, much of this momentum is being driven by hype rather than commercial readiness, raising concerns that humanoid robotics could become AI’s next bubble.
That many humanoid robotics companies face fundamental challenges with cost and reliability that will not be solved any time soon is reflected in a report by CB Insights.
Recent major venture capital (VC) reports from KPMG and PitchBook confirm that AI remains in the lead, accounting for more than half of all investments this year. Given that the AI market is shifting rapidly toward industrial humanoid robotics, there is a risk that the flood of AI capital is pushing robotics toward a speculative zone, with too many startups promising breakthroughs without commercial evidence.
The reason for this interest is because AI gives humanoids a commercial potential that was previously not possible.
In the U.S., during the last quarter of 2025, industrial humanoid robotics captured 17 deals – the most of any category. AI was still the primary destination for investors, split into several categories, such as coding AI agents and copilots (14 deals), end-to-end software development AI agents (12), and others.
According to Daiva Rakauskaitė, the partner and manager of Aneli Capital, there are strong similarities between today’s AI-driven investment boom and the dotcom bubble in the early 2000s, leaving many startups exposed.
Rakauskaitė tells Digital Journal she expects the AI bubble to burst in 2-3 years: “Many AI startups that can’t yet generate revenue will fail, but we’re reaching a consensus on that in the market. While the same risks persist in humanoid robotics, many investors tend to overlook this.”
Rakauskaitė adds: “However, it is important to distinguish robotics from humanoid robotics; industrial and logistics robots already generate revenue and can deliver measurable results, while humanoids can’t yet prove their commercial value.”
Currently, companies around the world demonstrate prototypes of robots performing actions from running to boxing, sparking interest from users and investors. However, in the real world, they have few practical commercial applications.
Similar challenges also persist for industrial humanoid robotics. These companies face challenges with inference (ability to make decisions in real time), dexterity (how well the robot can physically handle things), reliability, and cost, which limit the initial use cases to factories and warehouses with predictable sets of tasks.
According to Rakauskaitė, especially now, when investments are driven by hype, venture capitalists should not forget the fundamentals and prioritize revenue-first philosophy, where real money matters more than growth at all costs.
“Investments in robotics and AI are crucial for the future development of humanity. But investors should remain disciplined and back companies that have realistic goals based on economics, not hype. From day one, startups should aim for early revenue streams through licensing, partnerships and have a clear model of monetization in the near future. The same revenue-first philosophy can be applied to any field,” Rakauskaitė explains.
Despite early signs of a bubble in humanoid robotics, she remains confident in the broader robotics sector, where cheaper hardware and rapid advances in AI are accelerating real-world deployment.
January 5, 2026
A man works on the electronics of Jules, a humanoid robot from Hanson Robotics using AI, at the recent International Telecommunication Union AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva - Copyright AFP/File Valentin FLAURAUD
The latest investment data shows that investor interest in humanoid robotics is accelerating rapidly within the broader AI market. According to some analysts, however, much of this momentum is being driven by hype rather than commercial readiness, raising concerns that humanoid robotics could become AI’s next bubble.
That many humanoid robotics companies face fundamental challenges with cost and reliability that will not be solved any time soon is reflected in a report by CB Insights.
Recent major venture capital (VC) reports from KPMG and PitchBook confirm that AI remains in the lead, accounting for more than half of all investments this year. Given that the AI market is shifting rapidly toward industrial humanoid robotics, there is a risk that the flood of AI capital is pushing robotics toward a speculative zone, with too many startups promising breakthroughs without commercial evidence.
The reason for this interest is because AI gives humanoids a commercial potential that was previously not possible.
In the U.S., during the last quarter of 2025, industrial humanoid robotics captured 17 deals – the most of any category. AI was still the primary destination for investors, split into several categories, such as coding AI agents and copilots (14 deals), end-to-end software development AI agents (12), and others.
According to Daiva Rakauskaitė, the partner and manager of Aneli Capital, there are strong similarities between today’s AI-driven investment boom and the dotcom bubble in the early 2000s, leaving many startups exposed.
Rakauskaitė tells Digital Journal she expects the AI bubble to burst in 2-3 years: “Many AI startups that can’t yet generate revenue will fail, but we’re reaching a consensus on that in the market. While the same risks persist in humanoid robotics, many investors tend to overlook this.”
Rakauskaitė adds: “However, it is important to distinguish robotics from humanoid robotics; industrial and logistics robots already generate revenue and can deliver measurable results, while humanoids can’t yet prove their commercial value.”
Currently, companies around the world demonstrate prototypes of robots performing actions from running to boxing, sparking interest from users and investors. However, in the real world, they have few practical commercial applications.
Similar challenges also persist for industrial humanoid robotics. These companies face challenges with inference (ability to make decisions in real time), dexterity (how well the robot can physically handle things), reliability, and cost, which limit the initial use cases to factories and warehouses with predictable sets of tasks.
According to Rakauskaitė, especially now, when investments are driven by hype, venture capitalists should not forget the fundamentals and prioritize revenue-first philosophy, where real money matters more than growth at all costs.
“Investments in robotics and AI are crucial for the future development of humanity. But investors should remain disciplined and back companies that have realistic goals based on economics, not hype. From day one, startups should aim for early revenue streams through licensing, partnerships and have a clear model of monetization in the near future. The same revenue-first philosophy can be applied to any field,” Rakauskaitė explains.
Despite early signs of a bubble in humanoid robotics, she remains confident in the broader robotics sector, where cheaper hardware and rapid advances in AI are accelerating real-world deployment.
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