For more information, please contact the Project Manager FrÃĐdÃĐric Descombes :
prospective
AI-Robots
SERVICE ROBOTICS: A FORECASTED BOOM
For over 20 years, the CEA and the Y.SPOT team have brought together various industrial players to collaborate on technological and societal topics. Today, the CEA is launching a multi-partner foresight study called AI-Robots, aimed at understanding and anticipating the drivers and barriers to integrating âintelligent machinesâ into daily life. This study will involve around fifteen partners from diverse sectors to produce forward-looking scenarios based on key assumptions, exploring both development opportunities and social, economic, and environmental points of vigilance.
Observation
A complex context
Material limitations
AI and agent-based systems
Public mistrust
vision
New opportunities
Mass production
Physical AI
Accelerated learning
Robotics is no longer a technology of the future. It’s becoming part of everyday life.
The production of service robots is rapidly scaling up, driven by technological advances and growing demand. Around the world, major companies are investing heavily to make these robots more capable and accessible, while government initiatives and industrial partnerships are accelerating their large-scale adoption.
Physical AI plays a key role in this revolution: it enables robots to perceive, understand, reason, and act in the real world, making their interactions more natural and effective. Thanks to advances in artificial intelligence and deep learning, robots today learn faster than everâsometimes in just hours or even minutesâthrough simulations and massive datasets. Reinforcement learning and neural networks allow them to continuously adapt and improve, paving the way for greater autonomy and unprecedented efficiency in a variety of fields, from autonomous driving to robotic surgical interventions.
Robotics is thus establishing itself as an intelligent and accessible partner, ready to transform the way we work, interact, and live.
method
Project Structuration
The AI-Robots study aims to achieve a better understanding of upcoming developments. It is structured around several objectives:
Identify the main technological challenges in the sector
Analyze the conditions for adaptation of European societies
Explore different development scenarios and their implications
01
02
03
Study Framing and Stakeholder Expectations
Framing of the study: Definition of objectives, methods, and stakeholder expectations.
Collective definition of evaluation criteria for scenarios envisaged by 2036.
Analysis of evolution dynamics: Examination of regulations, actors in the robotic value chain at both hardware and software levels, emerging technologies, and societal barriers.
Kick-off scheduled for January 2026.
Scenario Generation
Identification of variables: Determination of key factors.
Formulation of hypothesis sets: Development of diverse and contrasting hypotheses to envision different possible futures.
Trajectory production: Definition and weighting of various scenarios, taking into account major trends, weak signals, and potential disruptions in usage.
Robustness evaluation: Analysis of scenario robustness and assessment of their credibility.
Deliverables
Periodic reporting: Production of detailed outputs for the consortium, including summaries of work and analyses.
October 2026: Presentation of final results to partners.
December 2026 â Public release: Organization of a public symposium co-designed with partners to share part of the studyâs findings.
 Âpartners
Targeted Participants
To enrich, challenge, and stimulate thinking, we seek to collaborate with actors across the robotics value chain as well asâĶ
RTO
NumÃĐrique HW & SW
Energies(s)
Cross-filiÃĻre
…
Technical providers
Services numÃĐriques
Software
Composants
Robot manufacturers
Constructeur
IntÃĐgrateur
Installateur
End-Users
MÃĐdia
AÃĐronautique
Banque-Assurance
DÃĐfense
Transport
Logistique
Construction
Agriculture
EnergÃĐticien
MobilitÃĐ
SantÃĐ
Service à la personne
In detail
Practical information
frederic.descombes@cea.fr / 06 44 33 92 06Â
Ou ThimotÃĐe Silvestre, our Prospective expert :
timothÃĐe.silvestre@cea.fr / 06 30 62 63 05
he participation fee is âŽ15,000. This amount covers:
CEA resources for workshop preparation
Recruitment and selection of contributors
Facilitation and drafting of interim documents and the final deliverable
Study Launch: January 2026
Study Duration: 10 months
Working Sessions: Approximately 7 sessions, supported by foresight study specialists
To avoid competition, only one participant will be selected per vertical. Each partner will be entitled to two seats, regardless of their size, to ensure balanced representation. All decisions will be made collectively, and expert presentations will be recorded for internal distribution among partner organizations.