General-Purpose Robots Leave the Lab

Patricia explains how embodied AI, better sensors and multimodal models made robots safer and useful in real workplaces.

Play episode from 28:29

chevron_right

Transcript

chevron_right

Transcript

Episode notes

In this episode of Future of UX, Patricia breaks down the most important tech and AI shifts of 2025 — the trends that fundamentally changed how we design, build, research, and work. If you missed anything this year or simply want the essential takeaways, this episode is your shortcut.

From AI Agents and deepfake-proof UX to vibe-coding, AI-native browsers, research automation, and the rise of general-purpose robots — here are the big transformations shaping the future of design.

Why 2025 was the year AI Agents became real — not as chatbots, but as autonomous coworkers running full workflows.
• How MCP unlocked the agent ecosystem
• Vibe coding and intent-driven development
• The shift from execution to oversight in human roles

Visual trust collapsed — and UX became responsible for rebuilding it.
• Why humans can’t detect deepfakes anymore
• What actually worked: C2PA, identity checks, and UI “micro-literacy”
• Designing interfaces that communicate authenticity and uncertainty

How tools like Lovable, Replit, and AI builders changed who gets to create.
• From pixel pushing to strategic direction
• Conversational creation flows
• What this means for designers and innovators

AI automated more than ever — but made human oversight more important.
• Where full autonomy worked
• Where humans stayed essential
• Why the future depends on intentional human-in-the-loop design

Research and analysis were transformed by automated synthesis.
• Superagency: managing research instead of doing it manually
• The new trust problem in fast research
• Data provenance, model transparency, and expert validation

Browsers became intelligence layers instead of navigation tools.
• Context-aware, predictive UX
• Browsers that act, not just display
• How this changes product and interaction design

Why general-purpose robots finally left the lab in 2025.
• Embodied AI
• Real-world perception
• Language-driven task execution

AI for Designers: 5-week Bootcamp 💻 Open Jan 2026

→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the ⁠waiting list⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 0€ AI mini Training for Designers 👈

→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn 3 strategies to leverage gen AI as a designer in just 30 min⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

💌 Newsletter

→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Weekly UX insights and updates: UX Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow the Future of UX:

🎨 Linkedin: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Future of UX Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📸 Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Future of UX Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🍏 Apple Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Future of UX⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

💚 Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Future of UX⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠