Is the Humanoid Robot Trend a Total Bubble?
Constellation analysts Larry Dignan and Esteban Kolsky examine the "parade of robots" at CES 2026 to separate genuine innovation from marketing hype. While Jensen Huang and others may be walking out with dozens of humanoids, Esteban argues that the focus on the human form is a "horrible idea" driven more by Hollywood lore and investor optics than by actual utility.
In this interview, they discuss:
- Why the human form is inefficient: Why replicating 17,000 receptors in a robotic hand is a "dexterity trap."
- The "Ugly" Winners: Why UPS and Walmart are winning by using specialized, non-humanoid robots for logistics and "dark warehouses."
- The Cost of "Dancing": Why marketing stunts like dancing quadrupeds are fun to watch but offer zero enterprise value.
- The Future of AI & Robotics: The inevitable merger of these two fields and how to ensure your investment returns money instead of just headlines.
Key Quote: "Your goal is to create something that's useful or something that gets you money. Humanoids get you money, but they're not going to be very useful." — Esteban Kolsky
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