We spoke to 3 robotics experts at Davos. They said this was the next big challenge for humanoid robots. - Business Insider
Tianlan, who said that Mech-Mind had delivered more than 10,000 "intelligent robots" over the last 12 months, added that he did not believe humanoid robots needed "Einstein-level" intelligence to perform useful tasks, however.
Key takeaways
The most recent developments in humanoid robotics include several high‑profile launches and strategic deployments announced in late January 2026. Agibot, the embodied‑intelligence specialist that shipped more than 5,100 units in 2025, officially entered the Malaysian market on 25 January, marking the first of a series of Asia‑Pacific roll‑outs for the company. In the United States, Fauna Robotics introduced a friendly, child‑scale humanoid called Sprout on 27 January; the robot’s soft, padded exterior and expressive “eyebrows” are designed for direct interaction in homes and offices, and early customers already include Disney and Boston Dynamics. The following day, Oversonic Robotics unveiled its next‑generation cognitive humanoid RoBee for the U.S. market, emphasizing applications in healthcare, care services, and advanced manufacturing. Hyundai announced plans to integrate AI‑powered Atlas humanoids into its Georgia auto plant, targeting deployment of up to 30 000 units per year beginning in 2028, with an initial rollout scheduled for 2026. At the same time, OpenAI quietly expanded a dedicated robotics lab in San Francisco, employing around 100 data collectors to teach humanoid platforms household tasks, and signaled a forthcoming second site in Richmond, California. Finally, at a Davos panel, robotics experts highlighted the need for better sensors and learning‑from‑human demonstrations to move humanoid robots from demos to reliable, large‑scale use in logistics and service settings.
Tianlan, who said that Mech-Mind had delivered more than 10,000 "intelligent robots" over the last 12 months, added that he did not believe humanoid robots needed "Einstein-level" intelligence to perform useful tasks, however.
He predicted that robots would take on some jobs performed by humans in controlled environments, such as in logistics and some service industries, in the next "few hundred days."
Humanoid robots are riding a wave of hype as companies like Tesla and Figure prepare to begin large-scale manufacturing of their machines. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made bold predictions about the company's Optimus robot, saying it could eliminate poverty and be the biggest product of all time. Bluesky
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Humanoid robots are riding a wave of hype, but the technology is still unproven. Three robotics experts broke down how robots can move beyond flashy demos to real-world returns. One said they require better sensors and AI models, while another warned about robotics "dirty little secret."
Humanoid robots can do kung-fu and parkour. But can they make your morning coffee?
At a Davos panel on Thursday, moderated by Business Insider's Jamie Heller, three robotics experts said humanoid robots needed to move beyond flashy demos and perform useful tasks in the real world at scale. "I can give you a robot that will fold your laundry and load your dishwasher, but it might cost you half a billion dollars," she said.
Rus said bridging that gap would require advancements in a humanoid robot's ability to perceive and manipulate the world through improved sensors and new AI models that can handle situations the robot may not have encountered before.
Shao Tianlan, the CEO of Chinese AI and robotics firm Mech-Mind, said that one big barrier to making humanoid robots useful in a factory environment was developing the capacity for them to learn directly from their human coworkers.
"If we want to deploy a robot, I would say demonstration is the most intuitive way to tell robots what to do. That's exactly how we humans teach others," he said.
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