James Francis

A few months ago, I noted the stealthy rise of self-driving cars. We are on the cusp of fully autonomous vehicles that can drive anywhere – only laws keep them in their geo-fenced cages. They won't be able to operate everywhere, yet. I can't imagine a self-driving car doing well in Johannesburg's chaotic roads, where people have scant regard for basic traffic courtesy. But the tech works, as fleets of robo taxis in the US and China demonstrate, and over time, self-driving cars will be able to navigate any terrain and conditions.

What about bipedal humanoid robots? We can expect humanoid robots to go mainstream soon as well. Foundation model AI (the AI that has everyone so excited and concerned right now) is fast-tracking this field of robotics.