Major AI companies are channeling resources into world models as large language model advances plateau. Runway introduced a video‑generation product that uses world models for real‑time gaming scenes. Niantic leverages data from its long‑running games, including Pokémon Go, to map millions of locations for its spatial AI platform. Nvidia’s Omniverse platform underpins physical AI efforts, aiming to boost robotics and simulation capabilities. Executives from Runway, Niantic, and Nvidia emphasize the strategic importance of these models for diverse industries, despite predictions that fully human‑level AI may still be years away. Read more →

A team at the Danish Technological Institute is developing an AI‑driven robotic system that can replace laptop screens, a labor‑intensive step in refurbishment. By automating this task, the robot aims to extend the life of devices, creating a higher‑value resale market while reducing the volume of e‑waste. The project, part of the RoboSAPIENS initiative, has already demonstrated success on two laptop models and is expanding its capabilities to handle more variations. The effort highlights the economic and environmental potential of combining robotics with human oversight in technology recycling. Read more →

Sydney‑based startup Alloy is creating a data‑infrastructure platform tailored for robotics companies. The system encodes, labels and makes robot‑generated multimodal data searchable with natural language, while allowing users to set rule‑based alerts for anomalies. Founder and CEO Joe Harris, a former Atlassian and telehealth employee, launched Alloy in February 2025 after identifying data‑handling as a common pain point among robotics founders. Since then, Alloy has signed four Australian robotics firms as design partners, raised over AUD $4.5 million in a pre‑seed round led by Blackbird Ventures, and is preparing to expand into the U.S. market. Read more →

Runway, the New York‑based AI visual‑generation company, is expanding beyond entertainment into robotics and self‑driving car markets. After seven years developing world‑model video and photo generators, the company has attracted interest from robotics firms seeking cost‑effective training simulations. Co‑founder and CTO Anastasis Germanidis says Runway will fine‑tune its existing models for these industries and build a dedicated robotics team, while investors such as Nvidia, Google and General Atlantic back the effort. Read more →

Tesla released the fourth installment of its Master Plan in a post on X, but analysts say the document reads more like a poetic manifesto than a concrete roadmap. While it promises \ Read more →

Tesla’s latest Master Plan, posted on X, shifts focus from electric vehicles to artificial intelligence, robotics and a vague vision of “sustainable abundance.” Analysts note the document’s brevity, buzzword‑heavy language and absence of concrete milestones, contrasting it with earlier plans that outlined specific product goals. Critics also point to Musk’s recent ventures—acquiring Twitter, launching xAI, and the under‑performing Cybertruck—while highlighting Tesla’s declining sales and unfinished promises. The piece concludes that the new plan reads more like a philosophical essay than an actionable roadmap. Read more →

Tesla unveiled its fourth “Master Plan,” outlining ambitions to lead in humanoid robots, sustainable energy and autonomous services. Critics say the document lacks concrete details, repeating broad language without measurable targets. The plan follows earlier master plans that promised specific products such as a solar‑roof‑with‑battery, compact SUVs, a semi‑truck, a pickup and an electric bus, many of which remain unrealized or in limited testing. Observers note that while Tesla is experimenting with an invite‑only robotaxi service, safety monitors still ride in the passenger seat, highlighting the gap between the vision and current capabilities. Read more →

Venture capitalists are pouring record funding into robotics startups, with investors committing $6 billion in the first seven months of 2025. The surge follows key catalysts such as Amazon’s 2013 acquisition of Kiva Systems, declining hardware costs, and advances in AI. Partners at firms like Eclipse Ventures, Bee Partners, and Cybernetix Ventures highlight how a decade of trial and error has clarified market demand across manufacturing, warehousing, construction, healthcare, and elder‑care. While consumer‑focused robots remain a challenge, investors see strong growth potential in industrial and vertical‑specific applications. Read more →

MicroFactory, a San Francisco startup founded by Igor Kulakov and Viktor Petrenko, has introduced a compact, tabletop manufacturing system that fits in a dog‑crate‑sized enclosure. The device houses two robotic arms and can be taught tasks through direct human guidance as well as AI‑driven learning. The founders, drawing on their experience running a lighting‑equipment business, designed the system to simplify precision work such as circuit‑board assembly and cable routing. With hundreds of pre‑orders, a $1.5 million pre‑seed round that values the company at $30 million, and plans to ship units within months, MicroFactory aims to scale production dramatically in its first year. Read more →

Runway, the New York‑based AI visual‑generation company, is expanding beyond entertainment into robotics and self‑driving car markets. After seven years developing world‑model video and photo generators, the company has attracted interest from robotics firms seeking cost‑effective training simulations. Co‑founder and CTO Anastasis Germanidis says Runway will fine‑tune its existing models for these industries and build a dedicated robotics team, while investors such as Nvidia, Google and General Atlantic back the effort. Read more →

Runway, the New York‑based AI visual‑generation company, is expanding beyond entertainment into robotics and self‑driving car markets. After seven years developing world‑model video and photo generators, the company has attracted interest from robotics firms seeking cost‑effective training simulations. Co‑founder and CTO Anastasis Germanidis says Runway will fine‑tune its existing models for these industries and build a dedicated robotics team, while investors such as Nvidia, Google and General Atlantic back the effort. Read more →

Tesla’s latest Master Plan, posted on X, shifts focus from electric vehicles to artificial intelligence, robotics and a vague vision of “sustainable abundance.” Analysts note the document’s brevity, buzzword‑heavy language and absence of concrete milestones, contrasting it with earlier plans that outlined specific product goals. Critics also point to Musk’s recent ventures—acquiring Twitter, launching xAI, and the under‑performing Cybertruck—while highlighting Tesla’s declining sales and unfinished promises. The piece concludes that the new plan reads more like a philosophical essay than an actionable roadmap. Read more →

Tesla’s latest Master Plan, posted on X, shifts focus from electric vehicles to artificial intelligence, robotics and a vague vision of “sustainable abundance.” Analysts note the document’s brevity, buzzword‑heavy language and absence of concrete milestones, contrasting it with earlier plans that outlined specific product goals. Critics also point to Musk’s recent ventures—acquiring Twitter, launching xAI, and the under‑performing Cybertruck—while highlighting Tesla’s declining sales and unfinished promises. The piece concludes that the new plan reads more like a philosophical essay than an actionable roadmap. Read more →

Tesla released the fourth installment of its Master Plan in a post on X, but analysts say the document reads more like a poetic manifesto than a concrete roadmap. While it promises \ Read more →

Tesla released the fourth installment of its Master Plan in a post on X, but analysts say the document reads more like a poetic manifesto than a concrete roadmap. While it promises \ Read more →

Tesla unveiled its fourth “Master Plan,” outlining ambitions to lead in humanoid robots, sustainable energy and autonomous services. Critics say the document lacks concrete details, repeating broad language without measurable targets. The plan follows earlier master plans that promised specific products such as a solar‑roof‑with‑battery, compact SUVs, a semi‑truck, a pickup and an electric bus, many of which remain unrealized or in limited testing. Observers note that while Tesla is experimenting with an invite‑only robotaxi service, safety monitors still ride in the passenger seat, highlighting the gap between the vision and current capabilities. Read more →

Tesla unveiled its fourth “Master Plan,” outlining ambitions to lead in humanoid robots, sustainable energy and autonomous services. Critics say the document lacks concrete details, repeating broad language without measurable targets. The plan follows earlier master plans that promised specific products such as a solar‑roof‑with‑battery, compact SUVs, a semi‑truck, a pickup and an electric bus, many of which remain unrealized or in limited testing. Observers note that while Tesla is experimenting with an invite‑only robotaxi service, safety monitors still ride in the passenger seat, highlighting the gap between the vision and current capabilities. Read more →

Venture capitalists are pouring record funding into robotics startups, with investors committing $6 billion in the first seven months of 2025. The surge follows key catalysts such as Amazon’s 2013 acquisition of Kiva Systems, declining hardware costs, and advances in AI. Partners at firms like Eclipse Ventures, Bee Partners, and Cybernetix Ventures highlight how a decade of trial and error has clarified market demand across manufacturing, warehousing, construction, healthcare, and elder‑care. While consumer‑focused robots remain a challenge, investors see strong growth potential in industrial and vertical‑specific applications. Read more →

Venture capitalists are pouring record funding into robotics startups, with investors committing $6 billion in the first seven months of 2025. The surge follows key catalysts such as Amazon’s 2013 acquisition of Kiva Systems, declining hardware costs, and advances in AI. Partners at firms like Eclipse Ventures, Bee Partners, and Cybernetix Ventures highlight how a decade of trial and error has clarified market demand across manufacturing, warehousing, construction, healthcare, and elder‑care. While consumer‑focused robots remain a challenge, investors see strong growth potential in industrial and vertical‑specific applications. Read more →

MicroFactory, a San Francisco startup founded by Igor Kulakov and Viktor Petrenko, has introduced a compact, tabletop manufacturing system that fits in a dog‑crate‑sized enclosure. The device houses two robotic arms and can be taught tasks through direct human guidance as well as AI‑driven learning. The founders, drawing on their experience running a lighting‑equipment business, designed the system to simplify precision work such as circuit‑board assembly and cable routing. With hundreds of pre‑orders, a $1.5 million pre‑seed round that values the company at $30 million, and plans to ship units within months, MicroFactory aims to scale production dramatically in its first year. Read more →