Warren Buffett once noted that investors are like drivers who only look in the rearview mirror. In the world of artificial intelligence, this metaphor takes on a particular sharpness — while everyone is investing money in language models, the real future is already knocking at the door.
In recent years, investors have poured hundreds of billions of dollars into companies creating chatbots and generative text platforms. #chatgpt has conquered the world, making everyone believe that artificial intelligence is about beautiful dialogues and smart texts. But there is one problem: the real world is not made up of words.
Try to explain to a robotic surgeon how to perform a surgery using only text. Or teach a self-driving car to park using words. Sounds absurd? That’s why smart money is already turning towards spatial artificial intelligence.
What is the spatial intelligence of machines
Spatial intelligence is the ability of artificial intelligence systems to perceive and understand the three-dimensional physical world, as well as to interact with it. If language models feed on text, then spatially intelligent systems require multidimensional data capable of capturing the full complexity of reality.
Self-driving cars, robotic surgery, industrial automation — all these applications depend on a precise understanding of space. Without this, even the most advanced models remain prisoners of abstractions, unable to transcend the digital world.
Why venture capitalists miscalculated
Investments in artificial intelligence have so far focused on large language models, ignoring the critically important spatial dimension. But as companies increasingly demand AI solutions with tangible results, investor focus inevitably shifts to companies building complex spatial infrastructure.
Physical artificial intelligence requires not just algorithmic breakthroughs. It needs fundamentally new types of data. High-precision 3D datasets, accurate digital twins, and sensor fusion technologies become the main building blocks for the next generation of intelligent systems.
Forward-looking investors are already noticing this trend, positioning themselves to benefit from the emerging ecosystem of spatial intelligence providers.
Who has already understood the rules of the new game
Leading tech giants — #NVIDIA , #Meta , and Apple — recognize physical artificial intelligence as the foundation of their future. NVIDIA's Omniverse platform demonstrates how complex 3D environments and digital twins provide reliable spatial intelligence capabilities in industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare.
At the same time, innovative startups are creating new market segments by providing specialized 3D datasets and sensor-based analytics for sectors ranging from retail to aerospace. These companies are not just digitizing reality — they are creating the infrastructure upon which true physical intelligence will depend.
New evaluation criteria for smart money
Investors evaluating artificial intelligence startups or acquisitions can no longer limit themselves to analyzing language models and traditional data — they need to understand a company's readiness for the era of spatial intelligence.
Key evaluation criteria increasingly include:
Quality and scale of spatial data
Technical expertise in sensor integration and real-time spatial data analytics
Partnerships and strategic alliances to ensure access to high-quality physical data
Companies that invest early in the infrastructure and specialists of physical artificial intelligence can gain a significant competitive advantage as the AI market shifts from purely digital interactions to reliable interactions with the physical world.
Questions to ask right now
Smart investors are beginning to ask critical questions: how prepared is our portfolio for the boom of spatial artificial intelligence? Are the companies we support equipped to collect, manage, and utilize high-quality 3D physical data?
And most importantly — are we actively seeking opportunities that align with this next stage of artificial intelligence evolution? Those who understand this shift before others can expect huge profits.
The real revolution of artificial intelligence is happening not in understanding words, but in perceiving and navigating space. We are witnessing an evolution from the abstract to the concrete, from the virtual to the physical — a transition that transforms artificial intelligence from a thinker into an actor. And in this transformation lies not just a technological breakthrough, but a philosophical revolution: machines are learning not only to think about the world but also to exist within it.