Xavier (Tianhao) Chi

Co-Founder of @mbodiai (YC X25) | AI x Robotics

[Xavier (Tianhao) Chi @chitianhao]

We’ve been spoiled into expecting AI revolutions to arrive as model launches. Robotics might be the opposite: no single holy shit moment, just a decade of machines quietly becoming useful everywhere.

[TechCrunch @TechCrunch]

Don’t expect a ChatGPT moment for robotics. @mbodiai co-founder Xavier Chi (@chitianhao ) says robots won’t suddenly go from specialized machines to systems that can do everything. Instead, the robotics revolution will happen gradually as companies deploy robots for specific tasks, collect real-world data, and make them more capable over time.

Check out Xavier's episode of Build Mode: https://t.co/4jsCkb6ZGr

[TechCrunch @TechCrunch]

Don’t expect a ChatGPT moment for robotics. @mbodiai co-founder Xavier Chi (@chitianhao ) says robots won’t suddenly go from specialized machines to systems that can do everything. Instead, the robotics revolution will happen gradually as companies deploy robots for specific tasks, collect real-world data, and make them more capable over time.

Check out Xavier's episode of Build Mode: https://t.co/4jsCkb6ZGr

[Xavier (Tianhao) Chi @chitianhao]

Robots can be flexible, fast, or affordable. Usually not all three.

I talked about this “impossible triangle” at the @HumanoidsSummit in Tokyo, and how we’re approaching it at @mbodiai. Sharing the talk here.

[Belgian Red Devils @BelRedDevils]

Overturn this. 🧏‍♂️ #USABEL

[Xavier (Tianhao) Chi @chitianhao]

@stash_pomichter @dimensionalos amazing

[TechCrunch @TechCrunch]

Mbodi users prompt the software with natural language and its cluster of AI agents works to make train easier. https://t.co/uEGr5j6pJ9

[Xavier (Tianhao) Chi @chitianhao]

Robots will free people from the most brutal parts of warehouse work. Most tasks still change every day so they stay unautomated. Imagine teaching a robot a new task in minutes, in plain language.

That is what we are building at @mbodiai

[Mbodi AI @mbodiai]

What if robots could listen, learn, and adapt alongside us?

Together with @ABBRobotics, we’re building a new foundation for flexible automation. Our embodied AI turns natural language into precise robot actions, across any hardware, in real time.

This is just the beginning.

[ABB Robotics @ABBRobotics]

Together with @mbodiai, one of the winners of our #AI Startup Challenge we are demonstrating AI-driven natural language programming that lets robots switch tasks in minutes, operate with true autonomy & make advanced robotics accessible to all – cutting programming time by 80%!

[Xavier (Tianhao) Chi @chitianhao]

@benjamin_bolte sorry to hear it my friend. you’ve built something incredible.

[Ilir Aliu @IlirAliu_]

What if factory robots could learn new tasks the way humans do... just by being told what to do?

That’s what @mbodiai is building:

Their tech lets robots learn from language and quick demos instead of weeks of reprogramming. Faster adaptation, fewer engineers, real results.

In this episode, @chitianhao explains how his team built sub-second response times, partnered with ABB, and turned frontier AI into working automation.

Listen to how the next generation of robots is finally becoming teachable.

Building Deep Tech #84
"You Become Who You Hang Out With”
with Xavier (Tianhao) Chi from Mbodi AI.

🎬 YouTube: https://t.co/wQACewx17W

🎧 Spotify: https://t.co/eN4Wpa6ZRd

🎧 Apple: https://t.co/ZcqssW5Yta

[Ilir Aliu @IlirAliu_]

🎙️ Robots still need weeks of coding to learn one new task. @chitianhao is changing that with @mbodiai:

Mbodi helps industrial robots learn through language and demonstration. No coding, no engineers, just simple instruction. We talk about how his team is closing the gap between advanced AI research and real factory floors, and what that means for the future of automation.

Xavier shares his path from growing up in Shenyang to leading Google Public DNS, one of the internet’s core services, and why he left to build Mbodi with his co-founder. He explains why the next wave of robotics will come from adaptable software, not humanoids.

We also talk about risk, ambition, and what it takes to move from stable engineering to startup chaos. Xavier breaks down Mbodi’s hybrid AI approach, its sub-0.5 second response times, and how their partnership with ABB is turning it into real deployments.

A must-listen for anyone building in robotics, AI, or industrial automation.

@builddeeptech #84
"You Become Who You Hang Out With”
with Xavier (Tianhao) Chi from Mbodi AI.

🎥 YouTube: https://t.co/wQACewxyXu

🎧 Spotify: https://t.co/eN4Wpa7xGL

🎧 Apple: https://t.co/ZcqssW6wiI

[Isaac Btesh @defikito]

Thank you @insightpartners for putting this map together.

Awesome to see our portfolio company @mbodiai featured here!

Mbodi lets anyone teach robots new skills through natural language, integrating into any robotics stack easily and reliably.

@chitianhao @sebbyjp

[Xavier (Tianhao) Chi @chitianhao]

@GoogleDeepMind's progress reaffirms what we’ve always said: agentic systems are the path to embodied intelligence. The real unlock is combining generative AI, multi-agent communication, and robotics to build reliable systems for real-world problems. Stay tuned for @mbodiai's progress soon.

[Google DeepMind @GoogleDeepMind]

We’re making robots more capable than ever in the physical world. 🤖

Gemini Robotics 1.5 is a levelled up agentic system that can reason better, plan ahead, use digital tools such as @Google Search, interact with humans and much more. Here’s how it works 🧵

[Xavier (Tianhao) Chi @chitianhao]

@GoogleDeepMind's progress reaffirms what we’ve always said: agentic systems are the path to embodied intelligence. The real unlock is combining generative AI, multi-agent communication, and robotics to build reliable systems for real-world problems. Stay tuned for @mbodiai's progress soon.

[Google DeepMind @GoogleDeepMind]

We’re making robots more capable than ever in the physical world. 🤖

Gemini Robotics 1.5 is a levelled up agentic system that can reason better, plan ahead, use digital tools such as @Google Search, interact with humans and much more. Here’s how it works 🧵

[Xavier (Tianhao) Chi @chitianhao]

EP 1.3
A 90% success rate sounds great… until you need to do it 10 times in a row. That’s only 30% success. In factories & warehouses, that’s catastrophic. Robots can’t afford to "hallucinate". At @mbodiai, reliability is #1.

#robotics #ai #automation #generativeai

[Xavier (Tianhao) Chi @chitianhao]

EP 1.2: Closing the gap in robot software
Robotics math has been around since the 60s. But real-world systems? Still clunky, until now. With generative AI and @mbodiai , robots are finally catching up.

#robotics #ai #automation #generativeai

[Xavier (Tianhao) Chi @chitianhao]

If 99% tasks in a warehouse can be done by a mobile manipulator, what do we need humanoid for in those places other than the fact that it’s sexy?