Physical AI: robots are increasingly trained in simulations and digital twins before they touch real equipment
The Financial Times published a Tech for Growth Forum report on January 20, 2026 on physical AI, robots that combine autonomy with hardware and sensors so they can handle varied tasks and changing conditions. It cites International Federation of Robotics data of more than 4.7 million industrial robots in operation in 2024, rising by over 500,000 a year, says China took 54 percent of new robot installations in 2024, and it describes training moving increasingly into simulated environments and digital twins so that damage to real equipment is minimised and enough data can be generated; Nvidia says Foxconn trained equipment that way. In warehouses it points to Amazon's more than 1 million robots across more than 300 fulfilment centres and its Vulcan picking robot, which senses the force to apply, and it says factory and warehouse staff will shift from repetitive tasks to running and maintaining robots.
- 4.7mn+ Industrial Robots In Operation In 2024, International Federation Of Robotics, Cited By The FT
- 1mn+ Robots Amazon Uses Across More Than 300 Fulfilment Centres
- 54% Of New Robots Installed In 2024 Went To China, Per The FT
Training in a simulation or a digital twin is increasingly the route a robot takes before it reaches the floor, for two reasons the report names: damage to real equipment is minimised while the robot learns, and enough data can be generated to cover situations a live floor would never safely present. For buyers on the program that turns into a question for any robotics supplier: where did this fleet learn, what did the twin cover, and what happens on the day the floor differs from the model. Amazon's scale, more than 1 million robots across more than 300 fulfilment centres and a picking robot that senses the force to apply, sets the expectation for variety handling, and the workforce line matters for every operations leader: factory and warehouse staff move from repetitive tasks to running and maintaining the robots.