Hominoids were a huge story last year for many reasons. The first – and most obvious – is that switch they flip in our collective lizard brain. It is located somewhere in the realm of the uncanny valley, fueled by decades of science fiction. As a species, we’ve experienced generations of work evolving, shifting, and being replaced at the hands of technology, but rarely—if ever—have those hands felt so purposefully like our own.
However you feel about how this whole thing will play out, you’d have to be hard-hearted not to sympathize with workers’ concern that technologists are building their literal replacements. There is very little of the abstraction we are used to. Imagine for a moment that the Model T was a big, metal horse on wheels, and you might be able to get a little closer.
The second big reason is the sheer number of companies that debuted their humanoid systems this year: Figure, Apptronik, 1X, and Tesla, to boot. Once again, try to put yourself in the shoes of someone who doesn’t follow these things on a daily basis, and you can begin to appreciate some of the emotions that well up when your news feed is suddenly flooded with these stories.
Like the rise of genetic artificial intelligence, if you haven’t been following the industry’s progress, it was probably a huge shock to the system to suddenly have the ability to generate an image, story or song with a brief prompt in a text field.
Of course, we’ll be debating the effectiveness of the human form factor for years to come, but at least we’re getting to the beginning of real-world testing. Whether they succeed or fail, Amazon’s Digit pilots are sure to have a profound impact on how we view the category going forward.
Tired of hearing about generative AI and LLM? I have some very bad news for you guys. The hype surrounding technology’s role in robotics is only growing. Leading research institutes are pursuing the connection between GenAI and robotics, and many companies are beginning to put these concepts into practice.
Genetic AI will revolutionize the way robots think, learn and listen. And as CSAIL’s Daniela Rus recently told me, it will also have a big impact on how robots are designed. But don’t get upset, get excited. More than any other aspect of robotics in 2023, the discussions surrounding genetic artificial intelligence feel like we’re on the cusp of something big.
Robotics funding has soared in 2021 amid a global pandemic that has forced many employers to take a hard look at automation. On the other hand, 2022 was the category’s second-worst year of the last five. Only 2020 was worse, with all the turmoil caused by the early days of COVID-19.
New numbers from Crunchbase that emerged early last month point to another drop for 2023. The initial push of interest in automation was going to fizzle out a bit, of course, and things were only accelerated by an extremely cautious VC market as the economy struggled .
Investments were $2.7 billion in early November, up from $5 billion for all of 2022 and $9.1 billion for 2021. I have yet to see a full tally as this year draws to a close, but things were watching to see much closer to 2020’s $3.4 billion.
Difference.
Image Credits: Brian Heater
Seeing as how I promised you a short one this week, and we’re already over 1,000 words, I’ll wrap things up with the CliffsNotes version. Here are some of the things I’m keeping an eye on right now as we approach 2024:
- Low and no code robotics. Everyone seems to agree that the learning curve is a big barrier to wider adoption. We will see a continued proliferation of software platforms designed to get us there.
- Loading/unloading trucks. These containers get extremely hot and extremely cold. Loading and unloading is extremely physically taxing. Systems that can automate this aspect of the warehouse are poised for a big 2024.
- The continued rise of agtech, construction and healthcare systems.
- Killer robot legislation. Following last week’s conversation with Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, concern over the domestic use of armed robots could lead to similar bills being introduced across the U.S.
- Multiple purpose is greater than general purpose. This is probably just wishful thinking on my part, but I’d like to see the debate around “general purpose” systems loosen up a bit as we discuss the much more practical world of multipurpose robots.
- Nearshoring. More wishful thinking on my part, but the supply chain crises of recent years have led many companies to rethink where their products are manufactured and assembled. For this trend to prevail, automation will have to be central.
That’s it for this week. Next week, we can actually discuss CES in earnest. For now, happy new year, health to all. Thanks for reading.
