Davos 2026: Elon Musk Predicts Robot-Dominated Future in Davos Debut
Elon Musk told World Economic Forum attendees that humanoid robots could outnumber humans and enter mass markets as early as 2027, reshaping labor, economics, and daily life.
Physical AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that perceive, reason, and act in the physical world through sensors, actuators, and embodied control. Unlike purely digital AI, Physical AI connects software intelligence with real-world interaction, enabling robots, autonomous machines, and smart devices to move, manipulate objects, and respond to dynamic environments. This topic covers perception, motion planning, control systems, and learning-based behaviors used in robotics, autonomous vehicles, and industrial automation. It also explores simulation, digital twins, and real-world training methods that bridge the gap between virtual models and physical execution. As AI increasingly leaves the screen and enters the real world, Physical AI represents a critical foundation for scalable, intelligent machines operating outside controlled environments.
Elon Musk told World Economic Forum attendees that humanoid robots could outnumber humans and enter mass markets as early as 2027, reshaping labor, economics, and daily life.
Airbus has placed a six-figure order for humanoid robots from UBTech, marking one of the largest industrial deployments of humanoid robotics in aerospace manufacturing to date.
Asus is winding down new smartphone development as it redirects resources toward AI computing, robotics, and physical AI systems for industrial and enterprise markets.
Elon Musk says Tesla’s humanoid robots could eventually become more valuable than its electric vehicle business, positioning robotics as the company’s long-term growth engine.
NEURA Robotics and Bosch have formed a strategic partnership to industrialize humanoid robots and physical AI in Germany, combining real-world data collection with large-scale manufacturing expertise.
Skild AI raised nearly $1.4 billion in a funding round led by SoftBank, valuing the robotics AI company at more than $14 billion as it scales a unified foundation model for robots.
CES 2026 marked a turning point for Physical AI, as humanoids, autonomous machines, and AI-driven platforms moved from experiments to scalable, real-world systems.
Caterpillar and NVIDIA deepened their partnership at CES 2026, outlining how Physical AI will transform construction, mining, manufacturing, and industrial supply chains.
London-based startup Humanoid moved from concept to a functional alpha prototype of its HMND 01 robot in seven months, compressing a development cycle that typically takes up to two years.
Mobileye agreed to acquire humanoid robotics startup Mentee Robotics for $900 million, expanding its autonomy technology from vehicles into Physical AI and general-purpose humanoid robots.