ADI explains the race to make AI physical

ADI discusses the race to physical AI in a new report.

The Report Report presents a whitepaper on the race to physical AI.

AI has become remarkably good at understanding language, images, and code. The next challenge is harder — understanding reality, according to Analog Devices Inc. or ADI. Physical AI moves intelligence out of digital environments and into machines that must sense, decide, and act in the world.

Unlike software, those systems face imperfect measurements, timing constraints, changing conditions, and the consequences of action, said the company in a new report. Success will depend on more than model performance. It will require advances across sensing, simulation, computing, connectivity, and control.

In many cases, the technologies that determine whether a system succeeds sit beneath the application layer itself. A machine that shuts down when vibration crosses a preset limit is following a rule. A machine that reads vibration, temperature, current, and motor behavior; recognizes the signature of bearing wear; and adjusts before failure occurs is doing something closer to judgment.

That distinction helps explain why physical AI has become one of the most closely watched areas in technology for manufacturing. These systems do more than analyze information. They interact with the world around them, adapting to changing conditions and responding to situations that cannot be fully predicted in advance.

The next phase of physical and embodied AI is not simply about producing better answers. It is about predicting and producing useful actions in the presence of imperfect information, said ADI. To read the full whitepaper, click here: The Race to Make AI Physical.

ADI to participate in RoboBusiness 2026

Sponsored by Analog Devices Inc. Founded in 1965, the Wilmington, Mass.-based company said it combines analog, digital, AI, and software technologies to bridge the physical and digital worlds and enable breakthroughs at the intelligent edge. ADI said its semiconductors help drive advancements in automation and robotics, mobility, healthcare, energy, and data centers.

ADI is also participating in the Robotics Startup Boot Camp Part 2 at RoboBusiness, where industry leaders will discuss the opportunities and challenges of working together. Register now to attend.