TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 introduces a new Real World AI Stage that expands the conference’s focus on the intersection between digital intelligence and physical reality.
The event runs from October 13 to 15 at San Francisco’s Moscone West, featuring speakers from Shield AI, Colossal Biosciences, FieldAI, Foxglove, and others. While the AI Stage continues to focus on software trends, the Real World AI Stage addresses the tangible challenges of bringing autonomous systems out of the lab and into public spaces, battlefields, and homes.
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One session titled “Robots Are Waiting for Their ChatGPT Moment. Here Is What Is Standing in the Way” addresses a specific technical bottleneck. Large language models had the internet to train on, and self-driving cars have millions of hours of road data, but general-purpose robots currently lack the necessary data pipelines and simulation environments to reach the same level of capability. Les Karpas, Head of Physical AI at Nvidia, will lead a discussion on what the next breakthrough for physical AI actually requires.
Another session tackles the consequences of deploying autonomous systems in high-stakes environments. “Building AI Systems When Failure Is Not an Option” brings together leaders from autonomous vehicle and defense technology sectors. The conversation will focus on the difficult question of safety validation and how companies can earn public trust when an error could result in a grounded aircraft or a vehicle crash. Nate Michael, CTO at Shield AI, will participate in this discussion.
Perhaps the most speculative topic on the schedule involves de-extinction. Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, will host a fireside chat discussing the technology used to revive extinct species and the role AI plays in modern biology. The conversation will cover the debate over whether engineering nature is a valid conservation breakthrough or a distraction from protecting existing ecosystems.
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Operational challenges in environments without reliable cloud connectivity will also be a major topic. “Operating at the Edge: How AI Works When the Cloud Doesn’t” features leaders from defense, space, and industrial AI sectors. Dr. Ali Agha, CEO and founder of FieldAI, will join Michelle Lee of Medra and Aidan Madigan-Curtis of Eclipse Ventures to discuss architectural principles that allow AI to function where latency matters and connectivity is limited.
More Programming for Disrupt 2026
TechCrunch is also expanding other areas of the programming this year.
