Nvidia’s Jensen Huang predicted a 'ChatGPT moment' for robotics, but commercial adoption tells a different story. Real-world deployment of physical AI demands extensive planning, capital, and precise forecasting. Kroger’s decision to shut down three robotic warehouses — supplied by Ocado — while expanding gig worker partnerships reveals the economic friction. Warehouse automation requires high throughput to justify costs, unlike cloud-based AI tools that scale with a subscription.

Grocers like Walmart and Picnic show automation can work where logistics are centralized and margins allow. But most firms still rely heavily on human labor. Humanoid robots, touted for their flexibility, face technical hurdles like battery life and safety concerns. A Boston Dynamics robot, for instance, can only operate 90 minutes before recharging — far short of a human shift.

As promising as technical milestones appear, the real economy moves slower. Profitability and practicality often trump innovation for its own sake.