The a16z Show

E999 - Big Ideas 2026: Physical AI and the Industrial Stack

Published: December 25, 2025

Duration: 21:34

AI is moving into the physical economy.

In this episode of Big Ideas 2026, we explore what changes when AI leaves the screen and becomes part of factories, construction sites, supply chains, and critical infrastructure. When the product is physical, reliability matters, real-world constraints appear quickly, and the advantage shifts from standalone software to end-to-end systems.

You will hear from Erin Price-Wright on factory-first principles, Ryan McEntush on the electro-industrial stack, Zabie Elmgren on physical observability, and Will Bitsky on why data, not compute, determines who wins.

Together, these ideas define what physical AI...