Google AI studio lead says 2026 will be breakout year for real-world robots
Google AI Studio head Logan Kilpatrick has predicted that 2026 will be the year we see more robots in the real world. Kilpatrick believes the coming year could see significant advancements in embodied artificial intelligence (AI).
Logan Kilpatrick, head of Google AI Studio, has claimed that 2026 will be a big year for real-world robots. His comments come at a time when there are rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) with an increasing focus on automated robots.
What did the Google AI Studio Lead say?
On X, Kilpatrick shared his thoughts for the year ahead. He believed that 2026 will be very important for AI. “2026 is going to be a huge year for embodied AI,” he wrote. To simplify things, the Google AI Studio head said, “Or put differently, we’re going to see a lot of robots in the real world soon,” hinting that next year could be the beginning of a new era of AI robots.
Google has made significant progress in AI this year, with the launch of Gemini 3 earlier this month. However, the company is also doubling down on AI for robots. In September, Google launched Gemini Robotics 1.5 and Gemini Robotics-ER 1.5. The two models enable robots to perform complex operations and adapt through real-world data with AI. This could potentially address the major shortcomings of robots at the moment – their inability to handle complex tasks.
In October, US firm 1X Technologies launched Neo, a $20,000 humanoid robot meant to complete tasks such as house cleaning. However, this is currently limited to simple activities, with complex tasks being handled by 1X staff for the time being.
Google’s AI models also allow robots to take advantage of resources like Google Search when placed in unfamiliar environments.
Google is not alone in the race for AI robots
Google is far from the only company developing AI robots. Tech billionaire Elon Musk has been at the forefront with Tesla’s Optimus robot. Elon Musk has called Optimus “the greatest product ever made” and has said that the robots are designed to achieve five times the productivity of humans. The Tesla CEO envisions a future where AI and robots will take over all jobs, and lead to universal higher incomes for humans.
Elon Musk also mentioned that in the future, more companies will create AI robots, indicating tough competition in this field.
