High Stakes and Fragile Demos

Humanoid robot development is attracting major attention, but the hype often masks the fragility behind these demos, for example, a Tesla Optimus bot famously stumbled while attempting to hand out water bottles, underscoring both public fascination and technological limitations.

Broad Tech Investment Surge

Giants like Tesla, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Intel, Nvidia, Meta, and Chinese firms are pouring resources into humanoid robotics. Startups including Apptronik, Boston Dynamics, Figure AI, and 1X are also stepping in, while China's government-driven funding is accelerating the sector’s growth.

Autonomy vs. Teleoperation

Despite advances in AI and robotics, many humanoid demonstrations remain scripted or teleoperated. The central hurdle is acquiring sufficient real-world interaction data for robots to behave autonomously, an approach being tested through early deployments in homes, raising privacy and efficacy concerns.

Progress, Risks, and a Possible Bubble

Technological advancements and decreasing costs, especially in China, are beginning to produce results. However, tangible use cases for humanoid robots are still limited, prompting warnings of an overheated market and investment bubble.

Hype Outpaces Reality

While there’s optimism that breakthroughs could be near, The Verge cautions that current capabilities often fall short of expectations. Humanoid robots, especially those intended for general-purpose use in everyday environments, remain a long-term work in progress.

Transition Timeline Extended

Initially scheduled for completion by the end of 2025, Google will now extend its initiative of upgrading Android users from Google Assistant to Gemini into 2026 to guarantee a seamless handover.  

Gradual Phasing Out of Google Assistant

Once Gemini becomes the standard, devices meeting its requirements will lose support for Google Assistant, including the ability to download the Assistant app. 

Gemini is Already Active on Multiple Platforms

Despite the mobile delay, Google has rolled out Gemini across Wear OS watches, Android Auto, Nest, and Google Home devices.  

Core Features Accessible Without AI Training Opt-In

In 2025, Gemini began handling phone calls, messaging, and timers even when users opted out of AI training data collection via the Gemini Apps Activity toggle. 

Automotive Transition on Track for March 2026

On Android Auto, Gemini is set to fully replace Assistant by March 2026, enhancing voice interaction with more natural conversational abilities. However, Google may revisit and extend that timeline if needed. 

Start a New Chat

Open thareja.ai and start a fresh conversation.

This keeps the experiment focused on one creative idea.

Switch Your AI Model

Click the ( + ) icon next to Automatic and choose your model.

For this tutorial, I selected GPT-4o.

Why GPT-4o?

GPT-4o tends to excel at:

Clear & concise explanations

Trend-focused insights

Practical, business-oriented writing

Try This Prompt & Observe the Difference