Benchmarks

A Falling Intervention Rate Can Be Manufactured Rather Than Earned

Intervention rate is useful but incomplete.

Georgian + NewtonX Physical AI Survey, Wave 1 · Reporting base: Buyers, n=85 unless a benchmark states otherwise · July 24 to Aug. 21, 2026

Benchmark H2.1

What Contributed to Falling Intervention?

Survey question

You noted that human intervention has gone down. Which of the following contributed?

Audience
The 65 buyers who reported human intervention falling over the past 12 months, out of 85
In depth
Hypothesis 2 — Interventions Can Be Manufactured

Buyers ranked up to three, so the shares add to more than 100%.

What Contributed to Falling Intervention?

88%

of the robotics buyers whose human intervention had fallen name narrowing the range of tasks the system attempts among the three things that contributed most to falling intervention rates

The 65 buyers who reported human intervention falling

Data for What Contributed to Falling Intervention?
CategoryIn top three (%)Named most impactful (%)
We narrowed the range of tasks / conditions the system attempts88%28%
We route harder or unusual cases to people before the system tries them75%29%
We slowed things down to make the system more reliable71%23%
We added more human supervision around the edges63%18%
Other3%2%
0%20%40%60%80%100%We narrowed the range of tasks / conditionsthe system attemptsWe narrowed the range of tasks / conditions the system attempts — In top three (%): 88%88%We narrowed the range of tasks / conditions the system attempts — Named most impactful (%): 28%28%We route harder or unusual cases to peoplebefore the system tries themWe route harder or unusual cases to people before the system tries them — In top three (%): 75%75%We route harder or unusual cases to people before the system tries them — Named most impactful (%): 29%29%We slowed things down to make the systemmore reliableWe slowed things down to make the system more reliable — In top three (%): 71%71%We slowed things down to make the system more reliable — Named most impactful (%): 23%23%We added more human supervision around theedgesWe added more human supervision around the edges — In top three (%): 63%63%We added more human supervision around the edges — Named most impactful (%): 18%18%OtherOther — In top three (%): 3%3%Other — Named most impactful (%): 2%2%
In top three (%)Named most impactful (%)

The 65 buyers who reported human intervention falling

Benchmark H2.2

Confidence the Reduction Is Real

Survey question

How confident are you that this reduction reflects a genuine improvement in the system’s autonomy, rather than a narrower set of tasks or more human handling behind the scenes?

Audience
The same 65 buyers who reported intervention falling
In depth
Hypothesis 2 — Interventions Can Be Manufactured

Single-select, so the shares add to 100%.

Confidence the Reduction Is Real

89%

of the robotics buyers whose intervention rate had fallen are confident the fall reflects a genuine improvement in the system’s autonomy, rather than a narrower set of tasks or more human handling

The 65 buyers who reported intervention falling

Data for Confidence the Reduction Is Real
Category% of the 65
Very confident23%
Somewhat confident66%
Not very confident11%
Not at all confident0%
0%20%40%60%80%Very confidentVery confident — % of the 65: 23%23%Somewhat confidentSomewhat confident — % of the 65: 66%66%Not very confidentNot very confident — % of the 65: 11%11%Not at all confidentNot at all confident — % of the 65: 0%0%

The 65 buyers who reported intervention falling

Benchmark H2.3

Whether the Operating Envelope Widened or Narrowed

Survey question

Over the past 12 months, has the range of tasks and conditions the system handles (its “operating envelope”) changed?

Audience
All qualified buyers, n=85
In depth
Hypothesis 2 — Interventions Can Be Manufactured

Single-select, so the shares add to 100%.

Whether the Operating Envelope Widened or Narrowed

69%

of robotics buyers say the range of tasks and conditions the system handles has widened over the past 12 months

All qualified buyers, n=85

Data for Whether the Operating Envelope Widened or Narrowed
Category% of buyers
It handles a materially broader range of tasks / conditions12%
It handles a slightly broader range58%
About the same24%
It has narrowed slightly4%
It has narrowed materially0%
Too early to tell4%
0%20%40%60%It handles a materially broader range oftasks / conditionsIt handles a materially broader range of tasks / conditions — % of buyers: 12%12%It handles a slightly broader rangeIt handles a slightly broader range — % of buyers: 58%58%About the sameAbout the same — % of buyers: 24%24%It has narrowed slightlyIt has narrowed slightly — % of buyers: 4%4%It has narrowed materiallyIt has narrowed materially — % of buyers: 0%0%Too early to tellToo early to tell — % of buyers: 4%4%

All qualified buyers, n=85

Benchmark H2.4

Demonstrations as an Indicator of Production Readiness

Survey question

To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following?

Audience
All qualified buyers, n=85
In depth
Hypothesis 2 — Interventions Can Be Manufactured

Item reported here: “Demonstrations are not a reliable indicator of production readiness.” Single-select, so the shares add to 100%.

Demonstrations as an Indicator of Production Readiness

69%

of robotics buyers agree that demonstrations are not a reliable indicator of production readiness

All qualified buyers, n=85

Data for Demonstrations as an Indicator of Production Readiness
Strongly agreeSomewhat agreeNeither agree nor disagreeSomewhat disagreeStrongly disagree
All buyers27%42%16%13%1%
All buyers27%42%16%13%0%100%
Strongly agreeSomewhat agreeNeither agree nor disagreeSomewhat disagreeStrongly disagree

All qualified buyers, n=85