Chapter 1
The rise and fall of the wrapper
Chapter 2
The funding squeeze and the big four
Chapter 3
The shift to agentic AI and workflow ownership
Chapter 4
The hardware physical and vertical AI pivot
YOUR GOAL
Master of The chatbot funding shift
Ch 4 · The hardware physical and vertical AI pivot
steve Specialized AI built for specific industries is outperforming general-purpose chatbots.
Fun Fact
Robotics funding boom: In 2025, venture funding for robotics reached nearly $14 billion as investors realized AI needs physical bodies to do real-world work.
Glossary
physical ai (noun)
A branch of artificial intelligence focused on enabling machine systems to perceive, reason, and interact with the real world. In 2026, venture capitalists pivoted funding from generic chatbots to physical automation and industrial robotics.
A branch of artificial intelligence focused on enabling machine systems to perceive, reason, and interact with the real world. In 2026, venture capitalists pivoted funding from generic chatbots to physical automation and industrial robotics.
Quiz
Which chip startup did Nvidia acquire for $20 billion to secure its 'inference moat'?