The age of humanoid robots may be closer than we think—potentially just a few years away. That’s according to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who predicts that manufacturing facilities will be the first to adopt these advanced AI-driven machines at scale.
Speaking at Nvidia’s annual developer conference in San Jose, California—where the nearly $3 trillion tech giant drew an audience large enough to fill a hockey stadium—Huang shared his vision for the future of AI-powered robotics.
“When humanoid robots are wandering around, that’s when you’ll know AI has become ubiquitous,” Huang told reporters after his keynote speech. “And that’s not a five-year problem—it’s a few-years-away problem.”
Factories First: The Birthplace of Humanoid AI Workers
Huang believes factories will be the proving ground for humanoid robots before they reach broader applications. With controlled environments and well-defined tasks, the manufacturing sector is the perfect launchpad for AI-powered machines.
“I think it ought to go to factories first,” Huang explained. “The domain is much more guard-railed, and the use case is much more specific.”
The Economics of AI-Powered Labor
Beyond the technological advancements, Huang pointed out that the financial incentive is clear. “The going rate for renting a human robot is probably $100,000, and I think it’s pretty good economics,” he said.
With AI evolving at an unprecedented pace, Nvidia is positioning itself at the center of this robotic revolution. If Huang’s prediction holds true, the sight of humanoid robots working alongside humans in factories could become reality much sooner than expected.
