AI & Robotics News

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang states Europe has a significant opportunity in AI robotics, citing investments by major companies. However, he emphasizes that securing a robust and affordable energy supply is crucial for Europe to capitalize on this potential. Without addressing high energy prices and increasing supply, Europe risks falling behind in the AI infrastructure buildout.

DFRobot showcased its K12 AI and robotics learning solutions at BETT 2026. The exhibit featured hands-on projects demonstrating autonomous driving, gesture-controlled games, pose recognition, and smart animal feeders, emphasizing AI's tangible application for students. Solutions like the HuskyLens 2 AI vision sensor and BOSON AI Vision Sensor aim to make AI concepts accessible across all grade levels.

While some believe AI and robotics will fully automate surgery, a surgeon argues biological individuality makes this impossible. Machines excel at precision and pattern recognition, aiding surgeons. However, they lack the real-time judgment, contextual understanding, and moral responsibility essential for complex procedures and handling unexpected complications, ensuring human hands remain vital.

Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, is actively seeking investment opportunities in artificial intelligence and robotics. The fund views these rapidly evolving sectors as key drivers of future industrial growth and strategic investment areas. Mubadala is expanding its technology portfolio, with a particular interest in the synergy between AI and robotics impacting manufacturing. The fund also prioritizes life sciences, healthcare, and biotechnology, all poised for AI-driven transformation.

Elon Musk asserts that money is merely a database, not the economy itself, citing a shipwrecked scenario where a Swiss account is worthless. He believes human labor is the ultimate constraint on goods and services. Musk envisions a future where AI and robotics create abundance, making labor and traditional retirement savings irrelevant.

Elon Musk views money as a worthless database, not a store of value. He predicts artificial intelligence will transform the economy within 10-20 years, making labor obsolete and goods/services nearly free. This advancement, he believes, will render retirement savings irrelevant and work optional, leading to material abundance and reshaping fundamental economic relationships.

Hyundai Motor shares surged to a five-year high, driven by investor optimism regarding its advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics. The company unveiled its Atlas humanoid robots, with plans for factory deployment by 2028. Partnerships with Google DeepMind and Nvidia further bolstered confidence, leading to a significant increase in Hyundai's market value and overtaking LG Energy Solution.

SWAYAM, an initiative of the Ministry of Education, is offering free online courses starting January 19. These courses cover AI, robotics, animation, programming, blockchain, and cloud computing. While learning is free, a fee is required for certification exams. The platform aims to provide accessible upskilling opportunities for all learners.

Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman predicts everyone will have a personal AI companion within five years. These companions will deeply understand users, acting as ever-present partners and helpers in daily life. This vision builds on Suleyman's previous work with empathetic AI, aiming for superintelligence aligned with human values. Reactions to the prediction are mixed, with some questioning the timeline.

Shoucheng Holdings reports significant returns from its robotics investments, with flagship projects yielding over 10x returns and the overall portfolio exceeding 4x. The company emphasizes an "ecosystem empowerment" strategy, integrating investment with industry resources and application scenarios. This approach aims to accelerate robotics commercialization and value realization, with several portfolio companies expected to pursue public listings.

Hyundai Motor Group will appoint Milan Kovac, former head of Tesla's humanoid robot program, as an advisor. Kovac will also be nominated as an outside director for Boston Dynamics. This move aims to enhance Hyundai's competitiveness in robotics and artificial intelligence, leveraging his expertise for strategic discussions on robot platforms and commercialization.

Hyundai Motor Group is appointing Milan Kovac, former head of Tesla's humanoid robot program, as an adviser. Kovac will also be nominated as an outside director for Boston Dynamics. This move aims to enhance Hyundai's AI and robotics competitiveness, focusing on strategic discussions for its robotics platforms and commercialization efforts. Hyundai recently unveiled its Atlas humanoid robot, projecting significant growth in the physical AI market.

Hyundai Motor Group has appointed former Tesla humanoid robot program head, Leonard Kovac, as an advisor. Kovac will also be nominated as an outside director for Boston Dynamics. This move aims to bolster Hyundai's AI and robotics technology leadership. His expertise will guide strategic discussions and commercialization for Hyundai's robotics platforms, including the recently unveiled Atlas humanoid robot.

The company expects humanoid robots to become the largest segment ‍of the physical artificial intelligence market, which refers to AI systems embedded in hardware that collect real-world data and ‍make autonomous ⁠decisions, spanning areas such ⁠as robotics, smart factories and autonomous driving.

Skild AI, an AI robotics startup, secured nearly $1.4 billion in funding, valuing the company over $14 billion. The round was led by SoftBank Group, with significant investment from Nvidia's venture capital arm and Jeff Bezos. Skild AI is developing a universal robotics foundation model called Skild Brain to enhance robot adaptability. The capital will fuel model training and deployment for enterprise tasks.

Elon Musk predicts AI and robotics will revolutionize healthcare, finance, and human biology. He forecasts specialized robots will surpass human surgeons by 2030, offering superior medical care globally. Musk also suggests retirement savings will become irrelevant due to near-zero costs from automation and believes human aging is a solvable problem, potentially leading to immortality. He further predicts AI will exceed human intelligence by 2030.

Donald Trump highlighted robots as a significant future factor, suggesting they could address labor shortages. He stated the economy is performing so well that it's difficult to find workers, necessitating rapid training. Trump's focus on robotics is reportedly linked to investments in artificial intelligence, with automation seen as a solution for potential onshoring-related labor gaps.

Elon Musk predicts artificial intelligence and robotics will create a future of abundance within 10-20 years. He suggests this could render retirement savings obsolete as universal high income, near-free goods, and services become widely available. Musk believes automation will dramatically increase productivity, making traditional work optional and meeting all material needs automatically.

Nvidia and Eli Lilly are launching an AI-powered co-innovation lab to advance drug discovery. The five-year partnership involves investing up to $1 billion in talent, infrastructure, and computing power. This initiative aims to accelerate drug development through rapid experimentation and customized AI models, leveraging Nvidia's AI and robotics expertise.

Nvidia and Eli Lilly are establishing an AI-powered co-innovation lab to accelerate drug discovery. Over five years, they will invest up to $1 billion in talent, infrastructure, and computing power, including Nvidia's advanced chips. This collaboration aims to enhance Eli Lilly's AI capabilities and infrastructure, driving rapid experimentation and customized model development for the next era of pharmaceutical research.