It seems that after the artificial intelligence boom, investors have found themselves a new big theme — humanoid robots.
On 18 September, the investment firm Citrini Research once again turned its attention to the so-called physical AI — artificial intelligence that no longer exists only inside a computer, but can move, pick up objects, work with its hands, and interact with the real world.
According to analysts, robotics could become the next big technological trend after electric vehicles and the current AI boom.
Investors are watching China especially closely.
There, it is no longer only specialized startups that are working on robots, but also the largest automakers. XPeng is developing the humanoid robot Iron, BYD has shown its own robot Xiao Di, while Chery, GAC, Li Auto, SAIC, and other companies are also actively investing in this area.
The picture that emerges is rather amusing.
Not long ago, car companies were competing over who could build an electric vehicle faster.
Now the competition sounds something like this:
— Can your car walk?
— No.
— Then you've fallen behind.
Tesla, of course, is also in the race with its own Optimus. But Chinese companies are already preparing their own competitors and want to reach mass production in the coming years.
Why investors are so excited
The idea is simple.
Large language models taught computers to work with text, images, and code.
The next step is to give AI hands and feet.
Then a robot could potentially work in a factory, a warehouse, a store, a hospital, or at home.
In theory, it sounds wonderful.
In practice, many humanoids are still at the stage of demonstrations, pilot projects, and controlled tests.
That is, engineers are still figuring out how to get a robot to fold a towel properly and not fall over.
And investors are already discussing:
which robot will become the next Tesla.
And this is perhaps the most accurate sign of a technological boom.
When the product is barely in stores yet, but everyone is already picking the stocks around it.
So the future, it seems, looks something like this:
humanity has not yet decided whether it needs humanoid robots,
but investors are already figuring out whose robot is more profitable to buy — at least on the stock exchange. 😄
