The key facts

  • Amulya Vishwanath calls the current stage of robotics the 'Lego era' — the basic building blocks are still being reassembled
  • Her position diverges from the forecast of General Intuition CEO Pim de Witte about an imminent 'ChatGPT moment' thanks to a single foundational model
  • Vishwanath founded Techable VC, which invests in physical AI: robotics, materials science and life sciences

The 'Lego Era' Instead of a Breakthrough

Amulya Vishwanath, who led product marketing for NVIDIA's robotics platforms for seven years, said on TechCrunch's Equity podcast that robotics is still in a 'Lego era.' According to her, the industry's basic building blocks — actuators, robotic arms, software and safety standards — are still in the process of being reassembled.

The Debate Over the 'ChatGPT Moment'

This viewpoint contradicts the position of those who believe robotics is about to experience its own 'ChatGPT moment' — by analogy with the launch of the impressively capable chatbot in late 2022. As TechCrunch recalls, General Intuition CEO Pim de Witte said earlier this year on the Equity podcast that a single general foundational model would make a significant portion of today's specialized work in robotics redundant and would become such a moment.

New Fund and Career at NVIDIA

In the episode, hosted by Dominic-Madori Davis, Vishwanath talked about where she is directing her first investments as founder and managing partner of Techable VC. She also shared her experience as one of the first female top executives to leave NVIDIA to launch her own early-stage fund. The firm invests in physical AI — robotics, materials science and life sciences.