Physical AI Is in Its 'Lego Era', Says Ex-Nvidia Robotics Lead

16 Oct 2026, 10:00 pm · 4h ago · 1 min read · TechCrunch AI

Robotics and physical artificial intelligence are currently navigating a foundational building phase rather than approaching immediate general foundation model breakthroughs, according to former Nvidia robotics product marketing lead Amulya Vishwanath. Vishwanath, who spent seven years directing robotics platforms at Nvidia and is now an active investor in physical AI, described the sector as being in its “Lego era.” This phase requires reconstructing fundamental building blocks, including specialized actuators, robotic dexterity hardware, underlying software architectures, and safety standards, rather than relying solely on software-centric foundation models to achieve autonomous physical interaction across diverse real-world operating environments.