The Missing Breakthrough Moment in Robotics
When ChatGPT launched in November 2022, it accomplished something few could have predicted: it took large language models out of research labs and thrust AI into everyday life. Within months, AI went from a niche topic to a mainstream tool used by hundreds of millions. Robotics, by contrast, has been developed and discussed for decades and has seen meaningful adoption in manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare — yet it has never experienced a comparable inflection point.
That gap is exactly what Les Karpas, Nvidia Inception's Global Head of Physical AI, will address at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. In his session, Robots Are Waiting for Their ChatGPT Moment. Here Is What Is Standing in the Way, taking place on the Real World AI Stage, Karpas will unpack the technical, economic, and infrastructural barriers keeping robotics from its breakthrough — and what could finally change that.
Why Nvidia Is Betting Big on Physical AI
Nvidia has made no secret of its conviction that robotics represents the next frontier of AI. Across CES keynotes in recent years, CEO Jensen Huang has repeatedly positioned physical AI — systems that perceive, reason about, and act in the real world — as the company's long-term strategic priority. From chips purpose-built for embodied intelligence to simulation platforms that train robots in virtual environments before they touch a factory floor, Nvidia's investments signal where the industry is heading.
Karpas's vantage point inside Nvidia Inception, the company's startup acceleration program, gives him a rare view of both the cutting edge and the obstacles. His Disrupt session promises a candid breakdown of what is genuinely holding robots back — whether that's data scarcity, hardware cost, safety validation, or a lack of generalizable foundation models.
"Anyone who's watched Jensen Huang's keynotes the past few years knows Nvidia is bullish about robotics. Karpas will detail the limitations and opportunities firsthand."
A Lineup Built for Builders
Karpas joins an extensive AI-focused speaker roster at Disrupt 2026, spanning topics from founding AI startups to deploying intelligent systems in the physical world. The event runs October 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, bringing together more than 10,000 tech leaders, founders, and investors.
For teams working on robotics, embodied AI, or real-world automation, Karpas's session is a chance to hear directly from one of the people closest to the infrastructure powering the next generation of machines — and to understand what it will actually take for robots to have their own ChatGPT moment.