Nvidia exec to discuss robotics' missing breakthrough at Disrupt
Nvidia's Les Karpas will speak at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 about why robotics hasn't had a ChatGPT-like moment. He argues that the field lacks an internet-scale dataset for physical AI, unlike language models. The session will also feature founders from robotics startups addressing challenges and opportunities.
Karpas's session is scheduled for the Real World AI Stage at Moscone West from October 13–15, where he will be joined by founders from Shield AI, Colossal Biosciences, FieldAI, and Foxglove. His background spans architecture, manufacturing engineering, and venture capital roles at companies including iRobot and Cirque du Soleil, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of physical AI work. Nvidia's Inception program connects the company to startups across robotics, automotive, and smart cities, giving Karpas direct visibility into how these firms approach the data gap. Ticket prices rise after September 25, with group discounts up to 30 percent available.
If robotics achieves a ChatGPT-like inflection point, the effects could ripple across manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and domestic life, potentially reshaping labor markets and daily routines. However, the absence of unified physical-world datasets means progress may remain uneven, favoring well-funded firms over smaller innovators. Society could see accelerated automation in some sectors while others lag, creating transitional disparities in employment and access. The outcome hinges on whether synthetic data and cross-robot training can genuinely bridge the digital-physical divide.