Autonomy & Intelligence

From pre-programmed tasks to world models that learn and adapt without updates.

3 years ago (2023)

Robots followed rigidly programmed routines. No transfer learning between tasks. Teleoperation was common. AI was separate from robotics. Most robots couldn't recognize novel objects. Safety required physical cages and separation.

Now (2026)

World models enable task learning without software updates (KAI). Foundation models trained on 100k+ hours of human video. Zero-shot generalization to new objects and environments. On-device LLMs for natural language commands. Collaborative robots work alongside humans without safety cages.

Next 3 years

True physical intelligence โ€” robots that understand physics, causality, and social norms. Self-improving skills through practice. Multi-robot coordination without central control. AI that explains its reasoning in natural language. Human-level general-purpose home assistance.

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