Artificial Intelligence: The Evolutionary Path from Language Models to Embodied Systems

One of the fascinating aspects of AI lies in the vast chasm that persistently exists between expectations and technological reality. This contradiction is most prominently manifested in the field of embodied robotics.

Embodied intelligence is a topic that has recently gained significant attention, but its development faces numerous challenges:

  1. In the past, embodied robotics and AI often followed two parallel paths with little intersection.

  2. Many embodied robot products were costly but ultimately failed, such as Honda's Asimo and Jibo.

  3. The versatility of embodied robots often requires enormous investment in physical form, but struggles to create sufficient value.

  4. Compared to large AI models, embodied intelligence is more likely to face imbalances between input and output in its early stages.

  5. The mass application of legged robots is limited, making it difficult to achieve a balance between technology and commerce like drone-based pesticide spraying in agriculture.

Nevertheless, embodied intelligence still has enormous potential:

  1. Combined with drones and AI, embodied robots may have disruptive impacts in future warfare, construction, agriculture, and other fields.

  2. In OpenAI's five-level decomposition, the highest level "organizer" might refer to organizing swarms of embodied robots.

  3. Embodied robots are seen as the "flower of AI," but their internal form remains uncertain.

  4. The development path may gradually transition from a centralized control model similar to "The Matrix" to an autonomous intelligence model like "The Terminator."

Currently, embodied intelligence technology is still in its early stages and faces many challenges. However, with technological advancements, embodied intelligence is expected to play an important role in the future and become a significant branch of AI.