response.jp publishes research report on automakers’ physical AI

On November 2, 2026, response.jp published a 42-page research report on automakers and physical AI.

The report provides material for comparing automakers’ robotics-related activities, but it is not an announcement of companies’ production or deployment results. Assessing business progress requires distinguishing factory use from sales to outside customers and verifying actual operations and revenue on a company-by-company basis.

The question of whether automakers will become robotics companies should be examined by considering which parts of the value chain they serve, such as factory use, sales of robots to outside customers or component supply, rather than classifying companies as a group. The response.jp article names several companies and groups for comparison, but the existence of an article introducing a research report does not substantiate mass production, sales or real-world operation by those companies. The value of the comparison depends on whether it treats company announcements, product availability, factory operations and recurring revenue as distinct stages. In related coverage, we published an article on Toyota and the use of robots to supplement the skills of experienced workers, while Foundry Robotics was reported to have announced a $100 million fundraising round to build an assembly automation factory and an expansion of a 130,000-square-foot facility. Article on Toyota’s use of robots, Foundry Robotics raises $100 million to build an assembly automation factory. The former concerns the use of robots to preserve skills, while the latter can be viewed as a move to equip a factory with automation. Neither, however, directly demonstrates the performance of the companies compared in the report introduced here. Whether automation in automotive factories and robotics businesses selling to outside customers can be assessed on the same scale cannot be determined without confirming customers and revenue. Similarly, reports about reservations must be distinguished from official company announcements, as in BASENOR reports rumors of Tesla Optimus reservation sign-ups. Reservations, manufacturing, shipments and operation are separate stages, and progress toward commercialization cannot be inferred from reported plans alone. Further verification should confirm actual deployment numbers and production scale, whether products are sold externally, and revenue from robotics businesses, while separating announced plans from results. For details of the report’s company-by-company comparisons and assessments, consult the original report.