Physical AI Conference Comes to San Jose as Robotics & Autonomous AI Go Mainstream
The Physical AI Conference shaping the future of robotics, autonomous systems and real-world AI deployment lands in Silicon Valley this May, bringing together the engineers, builders and AI pioneers turning intelligence into physical action.
Physical AI Expo North America will take place on May 18–19, 2026 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, uniting global AI innovators, robotics leaders, enterprise technologists and next-generation infrastructure providers for two days focused on the future of AI in the physical world.
As AI rapidly moves beyond chatbots and software into robotics, industrial automation, autonomous systems and intelligent machines, the race is now on to operationalise Physical AI at scale. From manufacturing and logistics to automotive and defense, organizations are investing heavily in AI systems capable of sensing, reasoning and acting in real-world environments.
Physical AI Expo has been created to explore exactly how this transformation is happening – and what it takes to move from experimentation to production.
The Rise of Physical AI
The next era of AI is physical. While software-based AI has transformed digital workflows, the next competitive leap comes from embedding intelligence into machines, robotics, autonomous systems and industrial operations. Physical AI Expo will examine how organisations are deploying AI-powered systems into real-world environments, integrating intelligence into operations, and building infrastructure for AI that interacts with the physical world.
The conference agenda combines deep technical insight with enterprise-scale deployment strategies, bringing together leaders developing the next generation of intelligent systems.
Topics include:
- Physical AI & Robotics at Enterprise Scale
- Autonomous Systems & Industrial Automation
- AI Infrastructure, Data Platforms & Compute
- Enterprise AI Deployment & ROI
- AI Reliability, Transparency & Safety
- From Prototype to Production
- AI Developer Tools & Workflows
From Prototype to Production
Across two days, attendees will hear how global technology leaders are deploying Physical AI in production environments and solving the real challenges around scalability, infrastructure, reliability and adoption.
Day One: AI Strategy, Infrastructure & Data
Day One focuses on AI strategy, enterprise transformation, autonomous intelligence and large-scale data infrastructure. Sessions are designed for organizations building the foundations required to deploy Physical AI systems at scale.
Day Two: Robotics, Autonomous Systems & Real-World AI
Day Two explores how companies are moving Physical AI from prototype to production across robotics, automation and autonomous operations. Dedicated tracks will cover robotics, AI deployment, infrastructure and developer workflows powering intelligent systems in the real world.
Physical AI Leaders Taking the Stage
The Physical AI Conference program features experts from some of the world’s most advanced AI and robotics organizations, including:
- Leslie Karpas, Inception Global Head of Physical AI, NVIDIA
- Arne Stoschek, VP AI and Autonomous, Airbus Acubed
- Jose Alvarez, Director of Research, NVIDIA
- Dr Vinesh Sukumar, Vice President of AI, Qualcomm
- Simon Ninan, SVP & Global Head of Strategy, Hitachi
- Sungho Kim, CEO, Hyundai Global Software Center
- Naresh Dulam, Senior VP of Software Engineering, JPMorgan
- Pierre-Alexandre Balland, Chief Data Scientist, CEPS & Co-founder, General Robotics
The event brings together leaders across robotics, AI infrastructure, industrial automation, automotive, logistics and intelligent systems engineering – creating one of the most important Physical AI gatherings in North America.
Building AI That Acts in the Real World
Michael Hughes, Head of Conference Production, commented:
“Physical AI is rapidly moving from concept to deployment. The conversation is no longer just about models – it’s about infrastructure, robotics, autonomous systems and building AI that can reliably operate in the real world at scale.
Physical AI Expo brings together the companies and engineers making that future happen right now.”
About Physical AI Expo North America
Physical AI Expo North America is a leading Physical AI Conference focused on robotics, autonomous systems, AI infrastructure and enterprise deployment. The event connects technology leaders, engineers, innovators and developers exploring how AI is transforming physical operations and intelligent systems worldwide.
Physical AI Expo North America takes place May 18–19, 2026 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.
