Why Physical Edge AI Is the Next Competitive Moat for Hardware Companies

As hardware becomes commoditised, intelligence at the edge is emerging as the true differentiator. In this talk, we’ll explore how Physical Edge AI is shifting value from hardware specifications to real-world performance, enabling faster decisions, lower cloud dependency, improved reliability, and entirely new product experiences. We’ll break down where the real business value comes from, how leading companies are turning on-device intelligence into competitive advantage, and what it takes to move from experimentation to scalable, revenue-generating products. To ground this in reality, I’ll also walk through a real product I built for customers - an autonomous inspection robot - and use it as a concrete example of how Physical Edge AI translates into tangible impact in the field.