At Rise of AI 2023 in Berlin, Elisa Czerski, founder and CEO of N Robotics, argues embodied AI, artificial intelligence integrated into a physical system like a robot, will matter more than software-only AI because it interacts directly with the world and forces developers to confront the alignment problem earlier, since a robot's behavior can be tested in the real environment rather than judged purely on model outputs. She traces the term to combining 'robot', a machine that performs work, with AI, and argues embodied systems raise distinct risks around safety, privacy and autonomous data collection that receive less regulatory attention than software AI, including questions about autonomous weapons. N Robotics builds mobile robots end-to-end, from hardware to software, for use cases like construction and energy data collection, and is launching a fully open-source bipedal robot. Czerski argues true humanoid robots are not the right shape mechanically, and that autonomy and fast production scaling, not appearance, will determine which robotics companies succeed. She describes funding as harder for a female, first-time, deep-tech founder in Germany, and, together with audience members, debates whether Asia or Europe will lead the next wave of robotics.
Key takeaways
- Elisa Czerski argues embodied AI forces developers to confront the alignment problem earlier, since robot behavior is tested against the real world.
- She calls for a form of moral status for robots, not because they may have feelings, but because how people treat them may shape how they treat each other.
- N Robotics is launching a fully open-source bipedal robot rather than a humanoid, arguing humanoid shape is not mechanically efficient.
- Czerski says autonomy and fast production scaling, not human-like appearance, will determine which robotics companies succeed.
- She describes funding as harder to raise in Germany as a female, first-time, deep-tech founder, despite reaching steady revenue while bootstrapped.
Detailed notes
What embodied AI means and why it matters
Czerski defines embodied AI as AI integrated into a physical entity that interacts directly with its environment, distinct from software tools like a chatbot. She argues it helps address the alignment problem earlier, because behavior can be tested against the real world during development rather than only judged after training, and that this matters especially for sensitive applications like healthcare and elder care, where human-like physical interaction can help.
Ethical stakes: jobs, safety and autonomous weapons
She raises safety and transparency concerns, describing ongoing talks with TÜV, Germany's technical inspection body, about robot regulation, and says an autonomously moving entity that collects data raises questions the AI Act discussion mostly overlooks. She recounts bringing a robot to a school and finding students more interested in the philosophical question of what robots will do to society than in the technology itself, and argues for a form of moral status for robots, not because they may have feelings, but because how people treat robots, including children, may shape how they treat each other. She also flags autonomous weapons as a central long-term risk.
N Robotics: full-stack, open, and building a bipedal robot
N Robotics develops mobile robots across hardware, software, electronics and mechanics, targeting use cases like data collection in construction and energy where conditions are too expensive or dangerous for people. The company is preparing to launch a fully open-source bipedal robot, choosing two legs without a full humanoid body because, in Czerski's view, humanoid shape is not the most efficient mechanical design, and open hardware and software let universities, researchers and mid-sized companies actually build on the technology instead of only seeing it in marketing videos.
Why autonomy and production speed, not humanoid looks, will decide winners
Czerski argues the deciding factor for robotics companies is autonomy, not appearance: many robots on the market, including a Boston Dynamics unit she references, still require a human operator with a tablet, which she says provides little value. She also points to production scaling as a major bottleneck, since some robots take one to two years to deliver, and says N Robotics is built from day one to manufacture quickly, which she expects will determine which robotics companies succeed.
Funding gaps and Germany's position
She describes it as harder to raise funding in Germany as a female, first-time deep-tech founder, and says N Robotics has been self-funded and bootstrapped with ten products and steady revenue so far. She argues Germany's strength in manufacturing should make it well positioned in robotics, but sees a gap in government and private risk appetite, with many German companies treating robotics as a ten-year-out bet rather than acting now, and describes regulatory compliance, including the EU AI Act, as an added burden for a small founder.
Q&A highlights: Asia vs. Europe
Audience members raise the earlier embodied-cognition research tradition, citing Rodney Brooks, and companies like 1X in Norway, and ask whether Asia will lead the next robotics wave given cheaper hardware, such as a roughly 3,000-euro quadruped robot from Unitree versus a 130,000-euro Boston Dynamics Spot. Czerski agrees Asia may move faster short-term but argues Europe's stricter data and security regulation, if implemented early rather than as an afterthought, could become a long-term advantage, alongside Germany's manufacturing talent, provided funders take more risk on hardware.
Quotes
I'm really not too convinced about that we need human-like kind of robots, because I don't really think that's the best shape mechanically.
Elisa Czerski
No one cares about what kind of technology would you have when it's not accessible.
Elisa Czerski
Questions answered in this talk
What is embodied AI?
According to Elisa Czerski at Rise of AI 2023, embodied AI is artificial intelligence integrated into a physical entity, such as a robot, that interacts directly with its environment, as opposed to software-only AI like a chatbot.
Why did N Robotics build a bipedal robot instead of a humanoid robot?
Czerski says she is not convinced human-like robots are the best mechanical shape, so N Robotics is launching a fully open-source bipedal robot with two legs and no full humanoid body.
What determines which robotics companies succeed, according to Czerski?
Czerski argues autonomy, reliable operation without a human operator, and fast production scaling determine success, more than a robot's appearance or whether it looks humanoid.