Bloomberg Tech Podcast Summary

Episode: "Future of Robots on Display at CES"

Date: January 8, 2026
Hosts: Caroline Hyde (New York), Ed Ludlow (San Francisco)
Location: Live from CES, Las Vegas

Episode Overview

This special edition of Bloomberg Tech dives into the rapidly evolving landscape of robotics, AI, chips, and augmented reality, with breaking news from CES 2026. The episode features interviews with founders, CEOs, venture capitalists, and policymakers, exploring the convergence of “physical AI” and the future of human-robot interaction. Key themes include the mainstreaming of humanoid robots, global chip market shifts, the evolution of smart eyewear, the US-China tech rivalry, and the rise of autonomous vehicle technology.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Global Semiconductor Shifts: US-China Relations & Nvidia

• News: China's government appears set to approve select imports of Nvidia's advanced H200 AI chips for commercial (not military) use ([02:00]).

• Guest: Mike Shepard, Bloomberg Senior Tech Editor ([03:25])

  • Key Insight: Chinese tech giants ByteDance and Baidu may each seek up to 200,000 H200 chips, but exact volumes are uncertain.
  • Regulatory hurdles remain, as US Commerce Department licenses are still needed.
  • For Nvidia, China is a $50B opportunity; timing is crucial amidst fierce competition from domestic players like SMIC and Cambricon.
  • Beijing is signaling a preference for domestic chips, raising long-term competitive stakes.

  “We have also seen signals from authorities in Beijing that they would like local companies to start favoring domestic alternatives to Nvidia over whatever might be coming from the US.”
  – Mike Shepard ([04:41])

2. AI Startup Valuations and Market Dynamics

• Anthropic is reportedly raising $10B, bringing its pre-money valuation to $350B, with OpenAI and others chasing massive new fundraising ([05:00]).

• Startup Landscape: There’s consensus that the AI foundational model market may whittle down to just a few leading contenders.

  “There are four players right now: OpenAI, Xi (Alibaba), Anthropic, and Google. There's probably only room in the real world for three.”
  – Ed Ludlow (Host), relaying investor sentiment ([05:25])

3. Human-Like Robots at CES: From Gimmick to Mainstream

Interview: Jan Lipphardt, CEO/founder of Open Mind, and Stanford Professor ([07:46])

• The evolution: Humanoids have gone from “janky” science experiments to credible products; Atlas (Boston Dynamics) drew huge crowds.

• The “software problem” is largely “solved” for logistics robots (Amazon runs 1.1M), but social robotics (teaching, care) remains a challenge.

• Open Mind’s open OS powers about half of the 14 humanoid robots at CES.

  “Basics like picking things up, that’s solved… but social robotics, where robots live, teach, and care for people, is still difficult.”
  – Jan Lipphardt ([08:53])

• On form factors: Humanoids fit seamlessly into spaces built for humans, but acceptance varies by generation and context.

  “What’s special about a humanoid is that they’re by definition compatible with your home, hospital, school, workplace, door handles, light switches, stairs.”
  – Jan Lipphardt ([11:08])

• Elder care: Humanoids can provide critical companionship; surprising emotional bonds can form with elderly residents.

  “Nurses now have to clean the head of the humanoid every evening because the patients will kiss the humanoid... For many people that are starved of human interaction, they get so attached…”
  – Jan Lipphardt ([12:16])

• Open Mind’s business model: Like smartphones, humanoids should be open platforms for developers—“not magic black boxes.”

  “We don’t want them to be closed… We think of them much more like cell phones… where developers everywhere can add apps or skills and allow your humanoids to do many more things…”
  – Jan Lipphardt ([13:33])

4. Industrial Robots and Competition: Boston Dynamics & Tesla

Interview: Robert Plater, CEO, Boston Dynamics ([14:28])

• Atlas Robot: Hyundai will build a dedicated factory by 2028, aiming for 10–30k robots/year by 2030, for industrial use.

• Competition: Tesla’s Optimus program is seen as “very serious”—both benefit from their own large industrial customers.

  “You need the technology from robotics and AI. You also need that customer and that consumer. And so automotive is a natural fit… I think Tesla is actually very well placed to succeed here as well.”
  – Robert Plater ([15:09])

5. The Wearables Race: Smart Glasses, AR, and Ecosystem Wars

Interview: Jisoo, CEO, X Real ([17:51])

• New Launch: X Real “One S” AR glasses debut at $449 with 1200p resolution.

• Funding: Recently raised ~$100M, largely from supply chain and vendor partners.

• Form factor debate: Jisoo argues glasses are the “ultimate” platform, citing the trend of displays moving closer to the user.

• Ecosystem Play: Partnership with Google for Android XR is deepening—X Real is now a lead hardware partner.

• Market Dynamics: Competition remains open (Meta, Apple Vision Pro) but affordability and comfort are X Real’s edge.

  “For me...glasses is the ultimate form factor...What is even closer than your cell phone? It's probably going to be this display right in front of your eyes.”
  – Jisoo, X Real ([19:15])

  “We're just lucky we got picked by Google...to drive this industry forward.”
  – Jisoo ([21:45])

• Feature innovation: X Real glasses offer real-time 2D-to-3D conversion for any content, using their own chip.

6. US-China Tech Rivalry, National Security & the Global Chip Race

Interview: Jacob Helberg, U.S. State Department Undersecretary, founder of Hill and Valley Forum ([29:24])

• Strategic Imperative: The US goal is to "win the race" in AI, chip innovation, secure supply chains, and market share, formalized in the PacSilica alliance with G7 and other advanced nations.

• Export policy: Balances innovation with the risk of technological diffusion to rivals.

• Market competition: US chipmakers must be present globally to prevent China from filling any vacuums, especially in regions like the Gulf.

• Supply chain security: Concentration (e.g., in Taiwan/China) is seen as too risky. The US is working on alliances for resilience and diversification.

  “If the 20th century ran on steel, the 21st century is increasingly running on silicon and compute.”
  – Jacob Helberg ([30:20])

  “We want to protect our sensitive technologies, but we've got to have a path to gain market share...everyone who joined PacSilica understands...concentrated supply chains...is too risky.”
  – Jacob Helberg ([34:09])

  “America has thrived when we allow our innovators to actually dominate market share.”
  – Jacob Helberg ([33:33])

7. The Future of Autonomous Vehicles & Physical AI

Interview: Steve Jang, Managing Partner, Kindred Ventures (Nuro, Uber, Perplexity AI investor) ([38:28])

• Robotaxi race: Uber, Lucid, and Nuro are collaborating to deploy fully autonomous (Level 4) vehicles in the Bay Area by late 2026.

• Platform Competition: Nvidia is “king-making” the sector, providing chips, models, and open source tools to catalyze widespread adoption and maintain their edge in AI hardware.

• Industry consolidation: Sectors like autonomy, foundational AI models, and robotics are moving towards “two or three” dominant players.

• Compute Demand: Inference workloads are set to eclipse training in demand, highlighting ongoing chip supply shortages.

  “Nvidia…they’re not just talking about robotics, they're talking about autonomy and mobility because it's coming to a crescendo. They're very, very smart…They're the Fed for AI.”
  – Steve Jang ([40:08])

  “Any innovation curve starts with many competitors and it whittles down to two or three. It’s a rule of thumb in Silicon Valley.”
  – Steve Jang ([42:01])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On open humanoids:
  “It's very important to us that this technology is not like this magic black box, but it's something that most of us understand, can engage with and build for.”
  – Jan Lipphardt ([13:33])

• On elderly care robots:
  “The nurses now have to remove lipstick off the head of humanoid...for many people that are starved of human interaction, they get so attached…”
  – Jan Lipphardt ([12:16])

• On strategic technology export:
  “We want to protect our sensitive technologies, but we have got to have a path to gain market share.”
  – Jacob Helberg ([34:09])

• On AI and autonomy:
  “They're king making an entire sector...they’re the Fed for AI.”
  – Steve Jang ([40:08])

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Start Time | |---------|------------| | Breaking News: China & Nvidia H200 chips | 01:52 | | Anthropic’s $350B Valuation, AI “Big Four” | 05:00 | | Robotics at CES: Interview with Jan Lipphardt | 07:46 | | Social/elder care robots and challenges | 12:08 | | Boston Dynamics’ Atlas with Robert Plater | 14:28 | | X Real CEO Jisoo: AR Glasses, Google Partnership | 17:51 | | US–China tech, chip policy: Jacob Helberg | 29:24 | | Self-driving cars & “Physical AI” with Steve Jang | 38:28 |

Conclusion

CES 2026 is a watershed moment for robotics and AI, with humanoids moving from spectacle to potential mainstream products; fierce battles underway in smart glasses, chip supply chains, and AI platforms; and the ongoing consolidation of core technology sectors worldwide. The episode’s tone is energetic, forward-looking, and candidly highlights both technical breakthroughs and market realities. If you want a sense of where the future of physical AI, smart wearables, and global tech competition is headed, this is the episode—and the year—to watch.