Robotics And Embodied AI Archives

Roughly 40% of future conflicts will be fought as cyber wars, with AI systems engaging other AI systems under human strategic oversight. On the physical battlefield, dual-use robots that switch from civilian to military roles within hours will replace large standing forces. For nations with small populations, such as Germany and the Nordic countries, AI and robotic forces are a demographic necessity, not a choice.

The New Reality of Modern Conflict

As we move deeper into the 21st century, the very nature of warfare is undergoing a profound transformation. The traditional image of human soldiers on battlefields is rapidly giving way to something far more complex: a multi-dimensional conflict space where cyber operations, AI systems, and robotics form the backbone of military power.

This isn’t science fiction, it’s already unfolding before our eyes.

The 40% Reality: Cyber Warfare’s Dominance

In this new paradigm, approximately 40% of all conflicts will be cyber wars. These digital battlegrounds require fundamentally different talent, skills, and leadership than conventional military operations. Cyber warfare teams will operate both defensively and offensively, becoming the first line of engagement in any conflict.

The strategic value is clear: cyber operations can disrupt enemy infrastructure without risking human lives, destroying physical assets, or deploying costly weaponry. Consider that modern missiles often cost upwards of $1 million each, cyber warfare represents a more cost-effective and potentially more impactful approach to achieving strategic objectives.

These cyber armies will increasingly be composed of AI systems battling other AI systems, overseen by human strategists working in concert with artificial intelligence. This cyber dimension won’t be isolated, it will integrate with and support every phase of conflict from initial engagement to a peace treaty.

The Robot Revolution in Physical Warfare

On the physical battlefield, we’re witnessing the early stages of a revolutionary shift. Today’s industrial and consumer robots represent just the beginning of what’s coming: multipurpose robotic systems that can be rapidly repurposed for military applications.

Imagine consumer robots designed with dual-use capabilities, performing household tasks in peacetime but capable of being modified for battlefield deployment within hours when national security demands it. This approach creates a distributed, rapidly scalable robot army that doesn’t require maintaining massive standing forces.

This transformation creates entirely new industries around robot maintenance, recovery, and repair. Until robots can fully repair other robots (which is coming, but not immediate), human technicians, electricians, mechanics, technologists, will be in unprecedented demand. The skilled trades that support this robotic warfare ecosystem represent a massive economic opportunity.

The Leadership Challenge: A New Kind of Commander

Perhaps most fascinating is how this new warfare paradigm demands entirely new leadership models. Future military leaders must understand how to:

Command AI systems with their unique capabilities and limitations
Direct robotic forces effectively
Integrate human and machine elements into cohesive fighting forces
Maintain the human element of strategy and ethics
Redefine the Future of Warfare

This is fundamentally different from corporate leadership. While CEOs optimise for profit, military leaders optimise for mission success and survival. The best leaders for this new era won’t necessarily come from traditional military academies or corporate boardrooms, they’ll emerge from diverse backgrounds, identified by their unique capacity to understand both human and machine psychology.

The Demographic Imperative

This transition isn’t merely a technological preference, for many nations, it’s a demographic necessity. Consider Germany’s recent €500 billion military investment. Despite this massive financial commitment, Germany’s population demographics make it impossible to field a large conventional force of young soldiers. The same applies to Nordic countries with populations of 5-8 million.

For these nations, AI and robotic forces aren’t optional, they’re essential to national security. This creates unprecedented demand for AI expertise, robotics capabilities, and the infrastructure to support these new military paradigms.

Where The Commercial Opportunities Are

For forward-thinking leaders and organisations, this transformation creates extraordinary opportunities:

Development of dual-use robotic systems that serve both civilian and potential military applications
Advanced cyber warfare capabilities that can protect national infrastructure
AI systems designed specifically for strategic military applications
Training programmes for the new generation of human-machine military leaders
Support services for the maintenance and deployment of robotic forces

The business of war is transforming, and those who understand this shift will be positioned to contribute meaningfully to global security while capturing significant economic value.

Frequently asked questions

How much of future warfare will be fought in cyberspace?

Roughly 40% of future conflicts will be cyber wars, increasingly composed of AI systems engaging other AI systems under human strategic oversight. Cyber operations can disrupt enemy infrastructure without risking lives or costly weaponry, which makes them the likely first line of engagement in any conflict.

What are dual-use robots and why do they matter in warfare?

They are robotic systems that perform civilian tasks in peacetime but can be modified for battlefield deployment within hours when national security demands it. They create a distributed, rapidly scalable robot army that removes the need to maintain massive standing forces.

Why are AI and robotic forces a demographic necessity for some nations?

Because population size, not budget, is the binding constraint. Germany committed €500 billion to defence yet cannot field a large conventional force of young soldiers, and the same applies to Nordic countries of 5 to 8 million people. For them, AI and robotics are essential to national security rather than optional.

What new kind of leader does this future of warfare require?

One who can command AI systems, direct robotic forces, integrate human and machine elements into a cohesive force, and hold the human element of strategy and ethics. It differs fundamentally from corporate leadership, and the best such leaders will come from diverse backgrounds, marked by an ability to understand both human and machine psychology.

Thomas Anglero is a Strategic AI Advisor, keynote speaker and author of Intro to Artificial Intelligence. He has delivered over 450 keynotes across 30 countries for organisations including IBM, the WHO, the World Government Summit and the European Commission. He founded the IBM Watson AI Lab for Cancer at the Oslo Cancer Cluster and closed over $500 million in enterprise transformation deals as CTO and Chief Innovation Officer at Cognizant.

Artificial Intelligence And Robots Presentation By Thomas Anglero — Artificial Intelligence and Robots

AI and robots are already changing how work gets done, and the gap between people using the latest tools and those relying on Microsoft Copilot alone is widening fast. In my keynote at Sphere24 in Helsinki, covered as a front-page story by Sweden’s IT publication Voister, I presented Google research showing how much more efficient workers become once generative AI enters their workflow.

Thank you to Voister, Sweden’s leading publication for IT Leaders, for making my keynote at Sphere24 in Helsinki on “How Leaders can Benefit from AI” today’s front page story.

What the Google efficiency data shows

During my presentation, I discussed how artificial intelligence and robots are already changing the work world by providing statistics reported by Google. Google performed a study that looked at ten different industries and evaluated the efficiency of a worker prior to artificial intelligence and what it was after GenAI came to market. The difference was drastic and the difference is only increasing.

Why using Copilot alone leaves you behind

The scary reality is that so many workers and leaders who use Microsoft Copilot think that they now have used GenAI to its fullest. Microsoft Copilot is a good solution but it is an infant as compared to the latest version of Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. If you have only used Copilot, it’s like saying you can be a professional football player by only watching tv. You’re not!

The greatest innovations and innovation risks are being taken by these startups who do not have to worry about upsetting other revenue models within the existing business like Microsoft does. Use Claude or ChatGPT to assist you in your day-to-day work. I keep them both open in a browser tab next to each other so I can compare and contrast answers as well as keeping a feeling that I have a team of people working with me to solve a problem.

Leaders and employees from all industries should have downloaded both Claude and ChatGPT into their mobiles so they can use them 24/7. The leaders and employees who are not incorporating these tools into their work and personal life are being left behind at an accelerating rate. Watch my “How leaders can benefit from AI and Robots now” presentation on YouTube and get inspired to be a leader that is leading your colleagues and others in your industry.

AI-driven humanoid robots are already here

Lastly, I discussed the state of AI driven humanoid robots. They are here and Tesla is one of the first to incorporate them into day-to-day work at their battery factory in the US. Look out for BYD to make major announcements in the near future about their humanoid robot and how it too is being utilised in their facilities and being trialled in other industries.

Contact me if you want me to present at your event the latest on AI and Robots and what you should be doing to benefit now!

Frequently asked questions

How much more efficient does generative AI make workers? In the Google research I presented, across ten industries the efficiency of a worker rose drastically once generative AI entered the workflow, and the gap is only widening. The point is not the exact number but the direction: the distance between people using the latest tools and everyone else is growing fast.

Is Microsoft Copilot enough to say you are using AI? No. Copilot is a good solution but an infant compared to the latest versions of Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Relying on Copilot alone and thinking you have used generative AI to its fullest is like believing you can be a professional footballer by only watching it on television.

Which AI tools should leaders and employees actually use? Use Claude and ChatGPT for day-to-day work, and keep them on your phone so they are available around the clock. A simple habit that works well is keeping both open side by side to compare answers, which feels like having a small team helping you solve a problem.

Are humanoid robots already in real workplaces? Yes. Tesla is among the first to put AI-driven humanoid robots into day-to-day work at its battery factory in the US, and BYD is expected to make major announcements about its own humanoid robot being used in its facilities and trialled in other industries.

Embodied AI is the merger of large language models with humanoid robots, and it is happening now. The two industries have improved in parallel at a frantic pace, and their convergence will change health, food production and quality of life worldwide. In the video below I explain how to prepare yourself and your company.

Embodied AI is happening now. The rapid speed and improvements made with AI-based Large Language Models (LLMs) by companies all over the world have created this perfect convergence with humanoid robots. They in parallel have been improving at a frantic pace. Combining these two disruptive industries will lead to a global change of improvements in health, food, quality of life, and more.

In the video below, I explain why you must prepare yourself and your company for this permanent change to our way of life.

Want to know more? Contact me and let’s discuss how to help you.

Frequently asked questions

What is embodied AI? Embodied AI is the merger of large language models with humanoid robots. The intelligence that has advanced so quickly in software is now being placed into physical machines that can act in the world, and that convergence is happening now rather than in some distant future.

Why is embodied AI happening now? Because two disruptive industries have improved in parallel at a frantic pace: large language models on the software side and humanoid robots on the hardware side. Each reached the point where combining them became practical, creating a convergence that was not possible even a short time ago.

What will embodied AI change? It will drive global improvements in areas like health, food production and quality of life, because capable machines can take on physical work at scale. It is a permanent change to the way we live and work, not a passing trend.

How should a company prepare for embodied AI? Start treating it as a permanent shift rather than a novelty, and prepare both yourself and your organisation for it. The leaders who benefit are the ones who understand the change early and position their people and processes around it before it arrives in force.