Nvidia’s GTC conference had everything: trillion dollar sales projections, graphics technology that can yassify video games, grand declarations that every company needs an OpenClaw strategy, and even a robot version of the beloved snowman Olaf from Disney’s “Frozen. ” On the latest episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, TechCrunch’s Kirsten Korosec, …

When we think about the existential threats of new technology, we’re usually thinking about something like the recent negotiations between Anthropic and the Pentagon over how AI can be used in the military. It’s terrifying to think about — how long will it be before a nuclear weapon can be …

Rivr, a Zurich-based autonomous robotics startup known for its stair-climbing delivery robot, has been acquired by Amazon in a deal that signals the e-commerce giant’s interest in doorstep delivery. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Co-founder and CEO Marko Bjelonic, who once described the four-legged wheeled robot to TechCrunch as …

If you haven’t heard, Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has another company — his third by our count. And this time it’s focused on robotics. The serial entrepreneur is best known for Rivian, the buzzy EV maker that was thrust into the spotlight in 2018 after debuting an electric …

German robotics startup Neura Robotics has inked a partnership with semiconductor giant Qualcomm to build the next generation of robots and physical AI. The deal is the latest coupling in the emerging physical AI industry between robotics startups and larger tech hardware and software companies. While no specific products were …

Palmer Luckey’s defense-tech company is in the middle of a multibillion-dollar funding round led by Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. The funding round would come less than a year after the company’s Series G, which closed in June with $2. …

China’s humanoid robots grabbed global attention with kung fu flips at the nation’s televised Spring Festival Gala, while Chinese phone maker Honor is set to unveil its first humanoid robot at MWC in Spain. Robotics was flagged as a priority under the country’s “Made in China 2025” plan, albeit originally …

Google is moving further into physical AI by bringing a familiar robotics software platform under its wing. Alphabet-owned Intrinsic, which builds AI models and software designed to make industrial robots more accessible, is joining Google, the companies announced on Wednesday. Intrinsic will remain a distinct entity within Google but will …

After a year-long pilot project, Toyota’s Canadian manufacturing subsidiary has contracted seven humanoid robots to work in a plant building RAV4 SUVs under a robots-as-a-service deal. “After evaluating a number of robots, we are excited to deploy Digit to improve the team member experience and further increase operational efficiency in …

Amazon has hundreds of thousands of robots in its warehouses, but that doesn’t mean all of its robotic initiatives are a success story. The e-commerce giant has halted its Blue Jay warehouse robotics project just months after unveiling the tech, as originally reported by Business Insider and confirmed by TechCrunch. …