Elon Musk’s Tesla is shifting from a car company to a robot company. Its Optimus humanoid robot has plenty of company, with everyone from Unitree and Agibot to LG and Hyundai showing off new concepts and products at CES 2026. But without successful “world” AI models, the humanoid robot may not be ready for ubiquity.

Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful.

To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on:

Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social

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REFERENCES:

The Guardian on Tesla abandoning the X and S https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/28/tesla-q4-earnings-estimates-elon-musk

Wired on Fauna’s Sprout https://www.wired.com/story/humanoid-robot-butler-sprout-fauna/

Engadget on Agibot’s A2 and X2 https://www.engadget.com/ai/agibots-humanoid-robots-can-give-directions-and-learn-your-tiktok-dances-045049798.html

BGR on Unitree’s G1 https://www.bgr.com/2083491/china-agibot-humanoid-robot-us-competition/

TechCrunch on LG’s CLOiD https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/08/i-watched-lgs-new-home-robot-cloid-do-laundry-but-i-have-questions/

Interesting Engineering on Hyundai’s Atlas https://interestingengineering.com/ai-robotics/hyundais-atlas-humanoid-wins-top-honor

Elon Musk’s tweet about people only remembering Tesla’s robots https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2011679509628457408

As a recent Wall Street Journal article demonstrates, many people in the United States think Europe’s online content rules amount to censorship that could affect them back in the US. But the Digital Services Act doesn’t do that – and the Trump administration’s efforts to force Europe’s hand are less about free speech than about promoting a far right agenda.

Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful.

To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on:

Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social

Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites

REFERENCES:

The WSJ article in question: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-european-threat-to-your-free-speech-93f2f7c7

MIT Technology Review on the US entry bans: https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/19/1131384/what-its-like-to-be-banned-from-the-us-for-fighting-online-hate/

Business Insider on JD Vance’s NATO threat: https://www.businessinsider.com/jd-vance-nato-support-eu-regulation-x-musk-free-speech-2024-9

Politico on Donald Trump’s DSA tariff threat: https://www.politico.eu/article/us-question-report-sanction-eu-officials-dsa-donald-trump/

Conflict between Europe and the US is fast becoming likelier, as the Trump administration threatens to annex Denmark-owned Greenland. Journalist Dave Keating, author of The Owned Continent, joins TGR to discuss US tech’s domination of the EU and the impossible position in which Europe’s leaders now find themselves.

The Owned Continent: https://theownedcontinent.eu/

Dave Keating’s Substack: https://davekeating.substack.com/

Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful.

To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on:

Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social

Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites

REFERENCES:

Euractiv article containing Daniel Friedlaender (CCIA Europe) quote: https://www.euractiv.com/news/europe-readies-digital-infrastructure-push-in-2026/

Tough talk from Teresa Ribera https://www.ft.com/content/ca6f3062-f286-4a13-b81d-6e2a35c91fdc