CES2026: Robots Edging Toward Real-World Deployment
Industry leaders said adoption, not flashy demos, were defining the next phase of physical artificial intelligence with scale and trust.
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5, 2026 — Physical artificial intelligence is moving from spectacle to substance, as companies learn what it takes to make autonomous machines useful, safe and trusted in working environments, robotics leaders said Monday.
The assessment came during a CES Research Summit preview to the CES trade show here in a panel moderated by Ani Kelkar, a partner at global consultancy McKinsey. Why are robotics advancing now after decades of promise that failed to translate into broad adoption?
Executives pointed first to scale. Robert Playter, chief executive of Boston Dynamics, said robotics was moving beyond one-off pilots as machines entered sustained use with customers.
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