AI, ROBOTICS AND QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES TO SHAPE FUTURE: EXPERTS

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence, robotics and emerging technologies are set to transform industries, economies and everyday life, experts said at the NXT Conclave 2026, highlighting the need for balanced regulation, innovation and human oversight.

- ANJALI SINGH NEW DELHI

During a panel discussion titled ‘Android Race vs Industrial Robotics,’ industry leaders and policymakers examined how robotics is evolving beyond traditional industrial settings into more dynamic, real-world environments.

The session featured Tom Smith, CEO, Greenrock Robotics; Prof. Sunil K. Aggarwal, Director, ROAR Laboratory, Columbia University; and Jeppe Soe, Member of the Folketing, Denmark, and was moderated by Vineet Malhotra, Senior Consulting Editor, NewsX.

Opening the discussion, Smith noted that industrial robotics has historically operated in controlled environments such as factories and assembly lines. However, advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning are enabling robots to move into more complex and unpredictable settings.

"In the last 30 years, industrial robotics largely existed in structured environments like factories," Smith said. "But the emergence of large language models and new robotic technologies has allowed machines to operate in dynamic, unstructured environments."