Robotics Has Been Stuck for 70 Years — Deepak Pathak, Skild AI
Robotics has appeared 'almost here' for 70 years despite current physical-AI hype reaching its peak.
“robotics has been "almost here" for the last 70 years.”
Skild AI's Deepak Pathak argues that despite peak excitement around 'physical AI' as the next frontier (echoed by leaders like Jensen Huang), robotics has repeatedly seemed on the verge of breakthrough for 70 years, citing demos like MIT's 1960s block-copying and 1957 teleoperation that resemble today's methods. The talk reframes current robotics optimism as part of a long-running hype pattern, a useful counter-signal for anyone tracking the humanoid/robotics investment surge.