Issue Scaling physical AI is blocked by interlocking technical, operational and regulatory problems

Summary

Deloitte argues that the obstacle to scaling physical AI is no longer whether the technology functions. Organisations moving beyond pilots meet a cluster of related challenges spanning technical, operational and regulatory ground. The chapter walks through them in turn, covering the gap between simulated and real training, managing huge volumes of sensor and 3D data, safety and trustworthy AI, cybersecurity, regulation, worker acceptance and orchestration of mixed robot fleets. Because these issues interact, no single fix or discipline resolves them. The report expects that resolving these foundations over the next 18 to 24 months could let physical AI expand beyond its traditional industries. Organisations that confront the problems directly, it says, are the ones likely to shape the next wave of deployment.