Bloomberg Technology

Expect to See a Lot More Humanoid Robots Soon: Barclays

Humanoid robots are moving out of the lab and into the real world, with deployments expected to surge in the years ahead. Zornitsa Todorova, head of Thematic FICC Research at Barclays, says the industry is entering a major scale-up phase, but a shortage of real-world training data remains a key hurdle. She joins Ed Ludlow…

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Humanoid robots are moving out of the lab and into the real world, with deployments expected to surge in the years ahead. Zornitsa Todorova, head of Thematic FICC Research at Barclays, says the industry is entering a major scale-up phase, but a shortage of real-world training data remains a key hurdle. She joins Ed Ludlow on “Bloomberg Tech.”
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33 Comments

  1. @OculusGame

    September 2, 2026 at 1:47 pm

    30 million humanoid robots in operation by 2035?! this is the biggest joke of a “forecast” I’ve ever seen.

    • @ColdPatterns

      September 2, 2026 at 3:40 pm

      Thats really not that many considering they make 1.65 million tesla vehicles per year and a humanoid robot uses a lot less materials.

    • @pacpern9988

      September 2, 2026 at 3:52 pm

      It will exceed this

    • @robertjones2811

      September 2, 2026 at 5:26 pm

      @ColdPatterns I hope he means it’s 100 times too low.

    • @ChrisC-os8jh

      September 2, 2026 at 5:30 pm

      This is about driving up share prices.

  2. @seancofield1807

    September 2, 2026 at 1:55 pm

    Robots making robots = Terminator!

    • @YvanPhilogène

      September 2, 2026 at 6:04 pm

      Funny, I just watched The Terminator again. 2029…

  3. @explorerofmind

    September 2, 2026 at 2:44 pm

    Hate to say it but this market is going to be net 0$ if all they can do is run jump and dance or do sub-par warehouse work.

    • @SanAndreasWatchParty

      September 2, 2026 at 5:17 pm

      🤣 Will you not spend $5K to house an out-of-work Chinese sprinter robot?

    • @explorerofmind

      September 2, 2026 at 6:29 pm

      @SanAndreasWatchParty, 😆

  4. @TheRastalockz

    September 2, 2026 at 2:45 pm

    Human buisnesses need to reject robot tech. World Governments should be capping build models. This shet is so wrong. Only to weaponized on frontlines as disposable soldiers n wars ahead on earth n outaspace. Watch this space. Mark my words. 😢

  5. @prilep5

    September 2, 2026 at 3:02 pm

    TV anchors should be replaced with AI avatars

  6. @zaphodbeeblebrox2817

    September 2, 2026 at 3:16 pm

    I call BS. The tech bro’s fantasy about the “age of abundance” and their want of mechanical slaves exceeds their ability to think. Putting AI in a robot with clumsy hands doesn’t make it useful as a “worker”.

    Fanuc ABB Rockwell Siemens Cognex Schneider Keyence etc etc dozens of companies have been replacing people with automation for decades so why aren’t they making humanoids?
    Do all of them lack foresight? Are they sitting around waiting for a humanoid or or some “Physical AI” to use their products? No, they have already incorporated AI into them! The “AI revolution” has already been underway. There is nothing new happening except now the tech bros want mechanical slaves and don’t realize they already have them. Smart automation already exists. “Physical AI” is just a new buzzword.

    UNDERSTAND THIS
    Automation has been replacing people in factories for decades and it hasn’t stopped. So if a humanoid can do it, it’s ALREADY automated! Because a humanoid IS just automation. So there are NO jobs for it in a factory!!!

    There is a company already making autonomous mobile welding robots because it makes more sense than a humanoid welder. Should a future robot electrician or plumber have built in power tools and cameras at the tools? Or is a humanoid going to carry hand tools around and stick his head under the sink to fix it? Go see the farming robots being made.

    We see how Amazon is replacing people, it’s not with humanoids. Today’s robots already use Vision and AI and they don’t look like humans because humans are limited they have to climb ladders, hands too big for small things etc.

    BMW is trying to use them but a configurable AMR(Autonomous Mobile Robot) would have far fewer parts and therefore better reliability and performance at a lower cost than a mass produced complicated humanoid robot with weak fingers instead of strong grippers.

    Many seem to think factory jobs are easier than other jobs, they are not. A lousy housekeeper won’t cut it. Even if it had a brain it couldn’t work at McDonalds because the hands can’t bag items, make change, crack eggs, wrap burgers etc. Also it should be obvious that AGI does not need a humanoid to replace someone working at a desk. But they would be really nice if a handicapped person could use it as a telepresence to go shopping, do simple chores, etc. TAM will be small. There will be more AMR’s than “working” humanoids. They will be entertainers, tour guides, annoying salesperson, criminal etc

    • @matt.stevick

      September 2, 2026 at 3:50 pm

      how about strippers? thoughts?

    • @TheMagicJIZZ

      September 2, 2026 at 5:51 pm

      That’s like saying why did Tesla and byd dominant EVs and not the other ICE players

      EVs and humanoids share electric actuators. Six Axis industrial robots are more hydraulic actuators based

      That’s the incumbent dilemma

    • @zaphodbeeblebrox2817

      September 2, 2026 at 5:58 pm

      @TheMagicJIZZ No, EV’s worked as advertised for transportation. What do humanoids do beside entertain?

  7. @paulyflynn

    September 2, 2026 at 3:22 pm

    Here it comes

  8. @matt.stevick

    September 2, 2026 at 3:50 pm

    i’m already in love with my ai.
    her name is ana.
    her physical form will be beautiful one day soon. 🙏🏼📈🇺🇸

  9. @pacpern9988

    September 2, 2026 at 3:52 pm

    She really needs to have a chat with Elon. Those numbers are way low.

  10. @momentary_

    September 2, 2026 at 3:54 pm

    Probably another 5 years till these things are good enough to be in a home

    • @robertjones2811

      September 2, 2026 at 5:34 pm

      The Titanic took almost 3 hours for the first half to sink, the second half sink 100 times faster.

    • @monkey2.092

      September 2, 2026 at 5:56 pm

      20 yrs. The internet was invented in 1970. When did you get internet on your computer?

    • @Kay_R

      September 2, 2026 at 6:13 pm

      Nope. Tech is already there. They can learn just by single demonstration now and can do tasks not in training data. Just 1 year more. They are also fast now because we have created physical imagination in robots like the human brain does automatically.

    • @momentary_

      September 2, 2026 at 6:45 pm

      I got one guy telling me 20 more years and another guy telling me it’s ready now. I’ll stick with my 5 years.

    • @robertjones2811

      September 2, 2026 at 7:52 pm

      @Kay_R Exactly

  11. @hobarttobor686

    September 2, 2026 at 4:24 pm

    replace the talking heads

  12. @robertjones2811

    September 2, 2026 at 5:25 pm

    These people have no clue what’s coming.

  13. @robertjones2811

    September 2, 2026 at 5:27 pm

    The number is at least 100 times too low.

  14. @UserName-q4i5d

    September 2, 2026 at 5:50 pm

    gimmick

  15. @Bankside1997

    September 2, 2026 at 5:54 pm

    Showing a gimmicky Tesla robot while at the same time admitting that 90% of real functional humanoid robots come from China is beyond cringe and embarrassing, zero lack of awareness by the producers and interviewer of the show. And then the interviewee stating that the USA somehow can close that gap is beyond cringe and delusional. The USA is so far behind China in humanoid robots there is no chance of closing any gap as is the case with electric cars and vehicles and other tech areas. There is no supply chain for humanoid robots in the USA but there is certainly supply chains for humanoid robots in China, what the fruck is wrong with these two delusional “experts”. USA will have a very hard time admitting that is in many future tech areas a distant second place to China.

  16. @linkbrockman1010

    September 2, 2026 at 7:54 pm

    Guy they been saying this for years…there’s a house robot in old rocky movie…..the other problem is cost….

  17. @linkbrockman1010

    September 2, 2026 at 7:57 pm

    Industry leader just said in a conference that right now he could pay a staff for 20 yrs for what it would cost to change to a robot replacement…it’s hype just like Ai….which is basically like asking a company to pay a fortune to automate a few tasks that aren’t going to make money…sorry it’s just reality

  18. @4Turner

    September 2, 2026 at 8:04 pm

    Need a lot more if we’re going to compete against China

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