Perhaps this article is nothing more than the result of advanced algorithms feeding me a steady diet of sensationalist news and viral videos about automation and technological progress. Or perhaps we really are standing on the edge of a full-blown robotics revolution.
Before dismissing that admittedly dramatic headline, consider how quickly the artificial intelligence revolution took hold. OpenAI’s ChatGPT was released to the public only three years ago. In that short time, AI has gone from novelty to necessity, embedded in nearly every major institution, industry, and facet of modern life. (RELATED: The Peril and Promise of AI)
If current trends are any indication, robotics may be on a similar trajectory. And if this next wave of technological change unfolds at anything close to the speed of AI, we would be wise to think seriously about what it means for society.
Advancements in Robotics
For generations, humanoid robots lived squarely in the realm of science fiction. From Metropolis in 1927 to the droids of Star Wars, the replicants of Blade Runner, and the cybernetic organisms of the Terminator, popular culture imagined futures filled with machines that looked and sometimes acted like us.
Those fictional depictions, while still far from fully realized even by 2026 standards, were rooted in something real — humanity’s steadily increasing mastery over machines and automation. They reflected an intuition that as technology advanced, robots would become more capable, autonomous, and humanlike.
As a lifelong fan of the Terminator franchise, I’ve always been fascinated by emerging technology and robotics. But the first time a real robot crossed the line from impressive to unsettling for me was Boston Dynamics’ Big Dog in 2004. This mule-sized, four-legged robot could dynamically balance over rough terrain with an almost lifelike fluidity.
Since then, Boston Dynamics and other robotics firms have pushed the field forward at a steady pace. Robots grew more agile, coordinated, and increasingly anthropomorphic. What once rolled on wheels began to walk (and then run) on two legs, with greater dexterity and range of motion.
We are now approaching a point where humanoid robots are capable of replacing humans in warehouses, factories, and logistics operations.
In just the past few years, humanoid robotics has begun shifting from experimental prototype to practical application. Automation has long played a role in manufacturing, but we are now approaching a point where humanoid robots are capable of replacing humans in warehouses, factories, and logistics operations.
In 2023, Amazon announced a partnership with Agility Robotics to test “Digit,” a bipedal robot, in its warehouses. By 2025, Amazon revealed plans to test humanoid robots for package delivery. It doesn’t take much imagination to see why businesses would find this appealing. Robotic workers don’t need breaks, health insurance, or vacation time. They can work longer hours and reduce liability risks associated with human injury.
What has held the robot revolution back is simple: humans have remained smarter, more adaptable, and more capable than their synthetic counterparts.
For now.
The Cusp of a Robotics Revolution
Elon Musk, despite becoming a political lightning rod in recent years, is one of the greatest and most influential minds in the world of emerging technology. He helms the leading companies when it comes to space travel, electric vehicles, brain-to-computer interface, and arguably artificial intelligence. Despite his impressive resume, it is possible that Elon Musk will leave his greatest legacy in the realm of robotics.
Since 2022, Tesla has been developing Optimus, a humanoid robot built using many of the same technologies that power Tesla’s vehicles. More recently, Musk claimed Tesla has solved the core challenges that have long held humanoid robotics back.
Speaking at the 2025 All-In Summit, Musk said Tesla was finalizing the design of Optimus version three, calling it a “remarkable robot.” According to Musk, Optimus three will feature human-level manual dexterity, an AI system capable of understanding and navigating the physical world, and mass production at scale. Those three elements, he argued, are what other robotics companies lack.
Jason Calacanis, an entrepreneur and angel investor, also speaking at the 2025 All-In Summit, did not mince his words when it came to his view of the potentially revolutionary robotics soon to come out of Tesla. “I saw Optimus 3. I can tell you now, nobody will remember that Telsa ever made a car. They will only remember the Optimus, and that he is going to make a billion of those. And it is going to be the most transformative technology product ever made in the history of humanity… I believe it will be a 1:1 ratio of humans to Optimus and I think he’s already won.”
This future may arrive sooner than many expect. At the Davos World Economic Forum, Musk told BlackRock CEO Larry Fink that Tesla could begin selling humanoid robots to the public by the end of 2027.
Perhaps the clearest signal that this isn’t just talk came during Tesla’s fourth-quarter earnings call. Musk revealed that Tesla plans to discontinue production of the Model S and Model X to make room for robots. “We’re going to take the Model S and X production space in our Fremont factory and convert that into an Optimus factory,” Musk said, adding that Tesla’s long-term goal is to produce one million Optimus robots per year.
What This Means for Humans
Musk has never been known for modest forecasts. At Davos, he predicted that one day “there’ll be more robots than people.” Eventually, he believes robotics and AI will saturate all human needs, creating a world of near-total abundance.
In this vision, robots handle chores, care for children and the elderly, tend to pets, and manage entire industries. On the Moonshots podcast earlier this year, Musk suggested health care could effectively become free, with everyone receiving medical care superior to what world leaders receive today. When asked how long it would take for Optimus to outperform the best human surgeons, Musk replied: “Three years.” Musk even goes as far as saying it would be “pointless” for most people to pursue education in health care or other areas. (RELATED: ‘Claude Missed It’ — The Pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence)
Now let’s pause for a minute and acknowledge that these are lofty goals coming from a man who has a pretty long track record of underestimating the time required to achieve his forward-looking expectations. However, we should also understand that we may already be seeing some of the real-world repercussions of an oncoming robotic revolution.
In late 2025, The New York Times released a report detailing Amazon’s long-term plans to automate as much as 75 percent of its operations, potentially displacing hundreds of thousands of workers. Internal documents reportedly included strategies for managing public backlash, including efforts to rebrand Amazon as a “good corporate citizen” through community engagement like parades and charitable drives.
Whether or not every projection proves accurate, the direction is unmistakable.
What Do We Do?
Here is the situation: Many of the world’s most informed investors and technologists are betting heavily on a robotic future. Major corporations are actively planning for it. Yet much of the public still treats this as science fiction rather than a looming economic and social transformation.
The easiest response is to ignore the issue. We can assume free markets will sort it out on their own. We can dismiss these warnings as Elon Musk’s latest bout of techno-optimism. That path may feel comfortable, but it leaves the field wide open to those who won’t ignore it.
As automation accelerates, economic disruption will be framed as corporate greed rather than technological change. Calls for universal basic income, aggressive regulation, and restrictions on layoffs will grow louder. The political left will offer big-government solutions by default.
If conservatives and free-market advocates want a seat at the table, they need to take this moment seriously. This means understanding the scale of what’s coming, engaging honestly with the risks, and articulating alternatives that preserve human dignity, opportunity, and liberty, without defaulting to central planning or permanent dependency.
The robot revolution may not arrive overnight. But it is no longer theoretical. And if we wait until it’s fully upon us to start thinking about its consequences, we will have already surrendered the debate.
Donald Kendal (dkendal@heartland.org) is the director of the Emerging Issues Center at The Heartland Institute. Follow @EmergingIssuesX.
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