MIT roboticist on scaling factory robots: learning fast isn't enough

Russ Tedrake, MIT professor and CEO of Walden Robotics, explains how robots learn from human demonstrations and acquire new skills through AI models in this video interview recorded at MIT's Physical AI Summit in October 2026. Walden designed a wheeled humanoid robot and deployed it in automotive manufacturing to move camshafts—demonstrating how robots can work safely around factory workers.

Tedrake addresses the gap between rapid learning and reliable deployment at scale. The conversation covers how large behavior models train robots, the technical challenges of safe manufacturing automation, and what happens when robots behave unexpectedly. He also touches on the workforce implications of factory automation.