The chief executive of Sentigent Technology said humans and robots should be designed as partners that evolve together, rather than as competitors, as artificial intelligence increasingly moves from the digital world into everyday physical environments.
Speaking at the “Talk to the World” forum held alongside CES 2026 in Las Vegas from Jan. 6 to Jan. 8, Sentigent Technology CEO Wang Tao said physical AI should not begin with high-risk or mission-critical household tasks, warning that early failures could permanently undermine user trust.
“Physical AI should not start with washing dishes or other critical tasks,” Wang said. “If a robot breaks a cup once every ten times, people will never trust it again.”
Instead, Wang said Sentigent Technology is focusing on low-risk, emotionally engaging scenarios such as outdoor play with children, walking, or picking up objects — activities that allow robots to learn in real-world environments while gradually building human trust.
“We start with small things like playing outside with children, picking up balls, and going for walks, where emotional connection can be formed,” he said. “Only after AI learns and evolves in real scenarios, and earns trust, can it truly enter households and take on more important responsibilities.”
Wang said this approach reflects a broader philosophical shift in robotics and physical AI development — away from viewing machines as replacements for humans and toward seeing them as collaborative partners.
“Humans and robots are not rivals,” he said. “They are partners that grow together.”
The comments come as technology companies worldwide accelerate investment in humanoid robots, embodied intelligence and physical AI systems capable of interacting with the real world. While many firms have showcased robots performing industrial or domestic tasks, Wang argued that social acceptance and trust are now the central barriers to adoption.
“Trust is more important than technical capability,” Wang said. “Without trust, even the most advanced robot will never be allowed into people’s lives.”
Sentigent Technology is among a growing number of companies focusing on embodied AI — systems that combine perception, cognition and physical action — as the next major frontier following large language models.
Wang said the ultimate goal of physical AI is not automation alone, but coexistence.
“This is what physical AI should look like,” he said. “Not machines replacing humans, but machines learning with humans.”
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