​Physical AI Is Reshaping Customer Service, And It Has Nothing To Do With Robots

Innovation​Physical AI Is Reshaping Customer Service, And It Has Nothing To Do With RobotsByEitan Cohen,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)May 14, 2026, 10:15am EDTEitan Cohen is CEO of TechSee, a Visual AI company transforming customer service for ISPs, Smart Home, CE and Home Security brands. getty​For too long, the world has relegated physical AI to the realm of robots and drones. While important, these applications are far narrower than the expansive scope of this technology and its potential to positively impact customer service.Gartner named physical AI one of its top strategic technology trends for 2026. When you read their definition, "[AI that] brings intelligence into the real world by powering machines and devices that sense, decide, and act," most people picture robots, autonomous cars or drones. These are compelling images, but for those of us in customer service, they are also a distraction.The physical AI shift that actually matters for service organizations is quieter, more immediate and potentially more consequential than a humanoid robot. It is happening right now, inside your customers' homes and most service leaders are not yet paying attention to it properly.The home is where service actually lives.Whether we are discussing telecom, home connectivity, consumer electronics, home security or homebuilders, in all of these industries, there is a simple and uncomfortable truth: Customer experience is shaped inside the home. When everything goes well at home, the brand is perceived as reliable. And when it doesn’t, all of the money spent on digital experiences, agent training and loyalty programs is immediately overshadowed by dissatisfaction.​Yet for decades, service organizations have operated with a fundamental blind spot: They cannot see inside the home. Walls, device placem...