Equity
Equity
TechCrunch, Rebecca Bellan, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, Sean O'Kane, Theresa Loconsolo
CES 2026 was all about “physical AI” and robots, robots, robots
33 minutes Posted Jan 9, 2026 at 5:56 pm.
Intro
Discord's surprise IPO filing
xAI's $20B raise amid CSAM controversy
Mobileye's pivot to humanoid robotics
Physical AI takes over CES
Why humanoid robots still don't make sense
OpenAI's war on screens and ambient computing
Wrap-up
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33:38
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Show notes
After years of chatbots and image generators, AI is finally leaving the screen. At CES 2026, that shift became impossible to ignore. 
 
The annual tech showcase in Las Vegas was dominated by "physical AI" and robotics, from Boston Dynamic's newly redesigned Atlas humanoid robot to AI-powered ice makers (yes, really). The companies in attendance clearly want consumers to know: AI isn't just capable of answering questions anymore. It's ready to movecar parts in factories, catchcatching drones with net guns, and dance in automaker booths. 
 
Today on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane break down everything we saw at CES 2026 and more deals from the week that caught our eye. 
 
Listen to the full episode to hear about:  
Discord’s rumored IPO, years after shutting down a Microsoft acquisition 
xAI's massive $20 billion raise and the dark side of Grok's content moderation failures 
How Mobileye is getting into the humanoid robotics game with its acquisition of Mentee Robotics 
OpenAI's potential shift toward audio-first, screenless AI experiences 
Chapters:
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