Jeff Burnstein & Devinder Sodhi: Physical AI | Intelligence at the Frontier 2026

Sat, May 2, 2026, 12:00 AM

The US invented industrial robotics. Then it didn't invest in it. Japan took the lead. Then China. Now China is the largest user of robots in the world and pushing to become the largest supplier. Jeff Burnstein has watched all of this from the inside for over 40 years. Jeff, president of the Association for Advancing Automation, sits down with Devinder Sodhi of Frontier Tower for a conversation covering the full arc of physical AI — from why the word "robot" still scares American voters, to the case for a national robotics commission, to why Detroit's collapse was never really about the machines. Done right, he argues, automation creates more jobs than it eliminates. But only if governments invest in workforce training rather than waiting for the market to sort it out. Speakers: Jeff Burnstein (Association for Advancing Automation), Devinder Sodhi (Frontier Tower / Tess Ventures) This session was part of Intelligence at the Frontier, held March 14–15, 2026, at Frontier Tower in San Francisco. Learn more at https://www.fundingthecommons.io