AI Expert Doesn't Worry About a Robot Takeover
The Top Physical AI Startups for 2026, Life Lessons For Robotics Founders From Sebastian Thrun, Call For Partners IEEE Humanoids 2026
Michael Wooldridge, a professor of computer science at the University of Oxford, who has spent more than 30 years studying AI, says that when we worry about job losses or robot takeovers, we’re worrying about the wrong things altogether.
What is keeping him up at night is that a handful of massively powerful companies are wasting data, money, and energy in a race that may not actually benefit any of us.
“We’ve got a small number of very, very wealthy companies that are busy pursuing AI, while at the same time saying that they are afraid that something’s going to go horribly wrong with it. So why are they busy pursuing it? Because they think if we back down and we don’t pursue it, somebody else will.” Michael Wooldridge in The Guardian
It’s not that Wooldridge is opposed to AI or robots either. In 2025, he received the Royal Society’s prestigious Faraday Prize for communicating science to the public. His accompanying lecture, from February 2026, was titled This Is Not the AI We Were Promised.
Wooldridge is the author of Life Lessons from Game Theory: The Art of Thinking Strategically in a Complex World, a book that applies the logic of strategic decision-making to explain everything from geopolitics to Silicon Valley’s most self-destructive habits. Life Lessons from Game Theory was published on 21 May. To support the Guardian, buy a copy at guardianbookshop.com
* I’ve enjoyed reading it. Tldr, it is definitely aimed at the general public, so no math. Perhaps my biggest takeaway was getting an insight into the overall history of game theory and current directions in ‘mechanism design’, which I find far more hopeful. Also this is very relevant to robotics in society because it asks for a theoretical underpinning of what happens if you design and choose the rules of encounter.
Key lessons for robotics founders from Sebastian Thrun
“You only gain hindsight by moving forward.”
Building in robotics is an uphill battle by design. The founders who get there fastest will move through mistakes, not around them. Building here means making bad decisions most of the time, and you can only gain hindsight from moving forward.
The hardware-software divide is the robotics industry’s most overlooked problem. Most builders are too specialized in one discipline to see the full picture. The strongest teams bridge both worlds, understanding both software and hardware.
Building a wedge isn’t always necessarily easier. The incremental path feels safer but is often harder with less capital, less talent, and thinner margins. Ambitious goals attract the resources needed to actually succeed.
Know what actually motivates you beyond financial reward. Financial reward fades as motivation. Founders who stay energized through the long middle are driven by something deeper. Getting clarity on that early enough makes all the difference.
Be arrogant about the goal, humble about the path. Founders: hold your destination firmly, but stay genuinely open about how you get there. Ego is what fractures companies from the inside.
Genuinely befriend the regulators — “They mean well, the same way you mean well.” Regulators want safety and innovation, too. Bring them along early, and they’ll want you to win.
Even the savviest builders can’t predict what’s coming next. Stay humble about what’s coming, as the next breakthrough will blindside everyone.
Read the full article from Bessemer Venture Partners Robotics Day 2026
CB Insights AI 100 Includes Physical AI Startups
According to CB Insights proprietary analysis and labelling, these physical AI startups are amongst the 100 most promising in 2026. Congratulations to:
Robotics Software & Models
Augmentus (US/Singapore) provides no-code adaptive automation for surface finishing, material removal, welding, and more in high-mix, high-variability manufacturing.
FieldAI (US) was built by veterans from DeepMind, NASA JPL, Tesla, NVIDIA, Amazon, to provide field proven autonomy software across unknown and highly dynamic environments.
Generalist (US) scales embodied foundation models for mastery of simple physical tasks with GEN-1, taking a step towards generalist intelligence for the physical world.
InOrbit.ai (US) ‘makes robots work’, providing the AI-powered robot orchestration platform driving software-defined operations at scale.
Robots & Enabling Hardware
Blue Water (US) builds autonomous ships for the open ocean, designed for endurance, reliability and to evolve with the needs of the defense industry.
BOS (Israel) is part of the BOS group for automation and logistics, providing fully automated solutions from molding machines to “Ready To Sell” products.
The Bot Co (US) is Kyle Vogt’s new company, building a helpful robot for every home.
Dyna (US) is building embodied AGI through high-performance robots that scale.
Gravis Robotics (Switzerland) retrofits construction machines with the Gravis RACK, sensors and an intuitive touchscreen control for safer construction sites and superhuman productivity.
Humanoid (UK) is building the most reliable, safe, and helpful humanoid robots.
Persona AI (US) develops industrial humanoid robots designed for real work environments such as shipyards, construction sites, and energy infrastructure.
Humanoids 2026 - Call for Partners
What: 2026 IEEE RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots
When: December 6-9, 2026
Where: Santa Clara, California, USA
OVERVIEW: Humanoids 2026 aims at bringing together top researchers from humanoid robotics and related disciplines with leading companies in the field. In light of a year of rapidly evolving humanoid technologies with several new platforms coming onto the market and bringing us closer to a wider real-world deployment. Our community envisions innovative areas in humanoid robotics that lie at the intersection of general-purpose physical, cognitive, and motor capabilities, while also considering the scientific understanding of interactions with humanoid and anthropomorphic systems.
SCHEDULE: The conference will be organized as a 4-day event opening on December 6th (Sunday) with public panels, seminars, and hackathons, followed by workshops and tutorials on December 7th (Monday), followed by 2 days December 8th-9th (Tuesday-Wednesday) for the main conference with plenaries, keynotes, oral and interactive sessions, and industry events. A centrally located exhibition will feature the latest humanoid technology from both industry and academia.
EXHIBITION: Industry leaders are eager to see your organization’s latest developments, connect, learn, and collaborate. Don’t miss this opportunity to make a strong, in-person impression. For more information contact Hall-Erickson, Inc: humanoids@heiexpo.com
We look forward to your contributions to Humanoids 2026!
The Humanoids 2026 General Chairs:
Andra Keay (Silicon Valley Robotics)
Ross Mead (Semio)
IEEE Entrepreneurship Hard Tech Venture Summit - Boston
June 10-11, 2026 - Thomas M. Menino Convention and Exhibition Center (MCEC)
Boston, MA
Fueling Hard Tech growth through capital, mentorship, and resources. Designed specifically for Pre-Seed to Series A startups building complex physical technologies.
See what attendees experienced at April 2026 Summit
See what our attendees experienced at last year’s Summit
Why Attend?
High-Impact Engagement: Historically maintains a 2:1 startup-to-investor ratio.
Roundtable Discussions: Unique opportunities to connect directly with investors.
Technical Problem Solving: Receive hands-on guidance from manufacturing experts to solve hurdles.
Strategic Partnerships: Accelerate fundraising, production, and market entry.
Silicon Valley Robotics Investor/Startup Database
Are you a startup fundraising atm? Fill out our “For Investors Eyes Only” sheet.
These investors write checks anywhere from angel and seed stage to $5-50 million.
Feedback from the startups - high quality inbound interest from investors.
Feedback from the investors - incredible depth and range of robotics startups.
If you’re an accredited investor and haven’t already signed up for the spreadsheet - Sign up here for great robotics deal flow!
Robotics News
From Concept to Reality: How OLogic Has Delivered More Than 300 Robotics Projects - Silicon Valley Business Journal
Will Robotics Have a ChatGPT Moment? > A single breakthrough AI moment in robotics may not be the answer - IEEE Spectrum
What AI taxis and robots can learn from bees - The Conversation
Intel (INTC) Introduces Core Ultra Series 3 Processors for Edge AI Robotics - Intel Newsroom
Google’s Gemini Robotics Push Signals the Next AI War. Hyundai Is Already Moving - KMJournal
Gecko Robotics Explores Next-Generation Inspection Capabilities with Ouster’s New REV8 Native Color Lidar - BusinessWire
GE Vernova to Acquire Robotech Automation, Expanding Robotics and Automation Capabilities - CityBiz
Locus Robotics acquires Nexera, advancing mobile manipulation - Evertiq
Persona AI teams with Under Armour to protect next-gen robots - Houston Innovation
Elon Musk’s neuralink reveals new robotics systems for BCI brain implant surgeries - MobiHealthNews
Google joins Japanese robotics giant to power next-gen autonomous factory robots - Interesting Engineering
One in three Japan firms using or considering AI robots: Reuters poll - Reuters
Kawasaki Heavy, Nvidia plan Silicon Valley robotics center, Nikkei reports - Reuters
Espretto Secures U.S. Partnerships Across Hawaii, Florida and New York as It Advances Silicon Valley Expansion - NatLawReview
A Colorado startup just raised $30 million on a quiet bet that astronauts won’t actually be the ones building the moon’s first permanent base — robots will get there first - Space Daily
AI, Automation, and Robotics Are Reshaping Value Creation for Private Equity - Foley Ignite
Humanoid’s New Deal: Bosch Will Build Its Robots With Schaeffler Parts - Forbes
Qi Lu, the Most Loving “Father” of Robots - 36KR
Open-Source Software Is Starting to Help Robots Think > On platforms like hugging Face, AI models for robotics gain traction - IEEE Spectrum
The Internet can’t stop watching Figure AI’s humanoid robots handling packages - ArsTechnica
Former NASA Robotics Chief: America is building the wrong kind of robots — and China knows it - Fortune
Job training for robots: How China is getting machines ready to join the workforce - CNBC
Commercial humanoid robots in China may soon do laundry, make beds, care for elderly - South China Morning Post
Are Humanoid Robots the End of Human Work? - Nautilus
“Humanoids will soon replace most human workers”: A debate - Science Robotics
How ‘Age Tech’ might help you grow old at home and with more eases - NBC News
Robotics exoskeletons promise easier hikes and high-tech workouts - NBC News
Are you interested in demoing or exhibiting at an event for aged care providers and investors?
* June 17 or 18 in the SF Bay Area.
Robotics Events
Want to host an event or reach the robotics community?
Many companies are reaching out to Silicon Valley Robotics about hosting events, outreach or hiring and we have a great community network, of people looking for work, of investors interested in deal flow and of technologists interested in learning about the latest advances.
Would you be interested in hosting the next Bots, Bevs and Devs? Or something customized specifically for your goals? Reach out here!
More Robotics Events:
Robotics Invest - Boston - May 26-27
ICRA 2026 - Vienna, Austria - June 01 - June 05
ROS Meetup @ ICRA 2026 - Vienna, Austria - June 2
IEEE Hard Tech Venture Summit - Boston - June 10 - June 11
Automate - Chicago - June 22 - June 25
Deep Tech Week - San Francisco - June 22 - June 26
Robot Fringe Festival - London - July 2
Robotics: Science and Systems - Sydney, Australia - July 13 - July 16
Open Sauce - San Francisco - July 17 - July 19
Actuate - San Francisco - Aug 18 - Aug 19
ROSCon Global - Toronto - Sep 22 - Sep 24
IROS 2026 - Pittsburgh - Sep 27 - Oct 1
IEEE Humanoids 2026 - Silicon Valley - Dec 6-9
The annual IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots is the internationally recognized prime event of the humanoid robotics community. The conference is sponsored by the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society and coordinated by the Technical Committee on Humanoids.
Send me your 2026 progress, plans or posts for potential inclusion in Robots&Startups. Or join the organizing team at Silicon Valley Robotics - bots&beer@svrobo.org
Hope that you join my product launch event
https://luma.com/zbppyw8k