A young robotics company called Generalist just reached a massive $3 billion valuation, showing how eager investors are to put smart brains into physical machines. Founded in 2024, the startup has now raised $600 million to build artificial intelligence models that act as general brains for different types of robots. Their newest system allows a robot to learn a brand-new physical chore just by watching a video clip that is only 3 to 12 seconds long. Tech investors hope this will lead to a breakthrough moment where robots can do various daily tasks without being reprogrammed every single time.
At the same time, other tech companies are working hard to make sure AI can run smoothly on the portable gadgets we use every day. A firm called Liquid AI recently released a free, open-source testing tool called Pipette. This tool helps software developers test how fast and reliably an AI model runs directly on everyday devices, like the latest smartphones and laptops, rather than relying on giant, distant computer warehouses.
Why does this matter to you? In the near future, we will want our home devices, smart cars, and personal robots to think for themselves instantly, even without an internet connection. Pipette measures the "quantization" of a model, which is a technical term for shrinking a massive AI program so it can fit onto a smaller microchip. This helps tech creators ensure that an AI helper on your phone or home device does not lag or drain your battery.
We are still in the early days of these technologies. However, as massive funding pours into smart robotics and better tools are built to test on-device systems, we are moving closer to a world where our physical gadgets are truly intelligent companions.
