Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The next frontier of AI is physical. Embodied intelligence, in the form of robots, could change how we live and work by 2040, McKinsey Partner Ani Kelkar explains.
In The Next Normal, McKinsey experts explore what robotics could look like by 2040, from advancements in physical AI to the sector’s economic impact. They explain how robots are becoming more adaptable in varied environments, which industries are expected to lead adoption, and what this means for the human workers of the future.
*In the full video:*
- How AI is changing robotics
- The robotics cost curve
- The future of human-robot work
- Home and consumer robots
- What it will take to deploy robots at scale
*Read more:*
The Future of Robotics: mckinsey.com/featured-insights/the-next-normal/robotics
Full transcript: mckinsey.com/industries/industrials/our-insights/the-age-of-thinking-machines-perspectives-on-the-future-of-robotics
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Any unanswered questions about this episode? Comment or send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com
About the hosts: Lucia Rahilly is McKinsey’s global editorial director and deputy publisher of McKinsey Global Publishing. Roberta Fusaro is McKinsey’s Editorial Director, Convenor Publishing Board.
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.
See mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information.
The next frontier of AI is physical. Embodied intelligence, in the form of robots, could change how we live and work by 2040, McKinsey Partner Ani Kelkar explains.
In The Next Normal, McKinsey experts explore what robotics could look like by 2040, from advancements in physical AI to the sector’s economic impact. They explain how robots are becoming more adaptable in varied environments, which industries are expected to lead adoption, and what this means for the human workers of the future.
*In the full video:*
- How AI is changing robotics
- The robotics cost curve
- The future of human-robot work
- Home and consumer robots
- What it will take to deploy robots at scale
*Read more:*
The Future of Robotics: mckinsey.com/featured-insights/the-next-normal/robotics
Full transcript: mckinsey.com/industries/industrials/our-insights/the-age-of-thinking-machines-perspectives-on-the-future-of-robotics
*Connect with us:*
Subscribe to our newsletters: mck.co/Subscribe
Subscribe on YouTube: mck.co/YouTube
Facebook: mck.co/Facebook
Twitter: mck.co/Twitter
LinkedIn: mck.co/LinkedIn
Instagram: mck.co/Instagram
Any unanswered questions about this episode? Comment or send them our way at: TheMcKinseyPodcast@mckinsey.com
About the hosts: Lucia Rahilly is McKinsey’s global editorial director and deputy publisher of McKinsey Global Publishing. Roberta Fusaro is McKinsey’s Editorial Director, Convenor Publishing Board.
Theme music composed, performed, and produced by Joy Ngiaw.
See mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information.
