Although AI has made tremendous progress in the digital domain, intelligence in the physical world still faces many challenges. Robots need to perceive 3D space, manipulate objects, and understand physical rules, all of which require enormous investments of manpower and resources. Dr. Jim Fan, head of Nvidia’s robotics business and co-head of the GEAR lab, recently posted on X criticizing the current state of the robotics industry. Looking back at developments in robotics in the year now coming to an end, he argues that the robotics field remains in a state of chaos, and that its development direction may be wrong.