Robotics Startups Hope the AI Era Means Their Time Has Come

Attempts to satisfy the public’s hunger for more personable robots have sometimes disappointed. In 2021, when unveiled Tesla Inc.’s plans for a humanoid robot, there was no demonstration of any kind of technology. Instead, a human dressed in a white skintight robot suit and a black helmet danced across the stage, earning Musk a round of mockery. But people who work in the field say recent advances in AI models and computer vision software mean robots that physically resemble humans could soon be a reality. Humanoid robots that can carry out a wide range of tasks—in contrast to a robotic arm that deftly repeats a single function in a factory—could be particularly useful.