The Future of AI Will Be Physical. Are You Ready?

I recently joined McKinsey’s “World Economic Forum: A Debrief of Davos 2026,” which delivered exactly the kind of future‑tilting conversation leaders love. Becca Coggins shared a prediction that physical AI will move from concept to reality as early as 2027. Think cars that operate with full autonomy and AI‑supported healthcare roles that help close workforce gaps.

My immediate, internal reaction was a firm “Nope. Not for me.” But then, as I sat in traffic later, I had a chuckle at my own hypocrisy. I trust my life to technology constantly. I trust metal capsules to fly me across oceans. I trust complex anti-lock brakes every time I drive in the rain. So why does the idea of an AI checking my vitals feel so…intrusive? It’s a question of intimacy, not logic. And it got me thinking about how we, as leaders, handle the next wave of disruptive ideas that feel personally unfamiliar.

Leading When Your Gut Says “No”

That knee-jerk resistance is just a human reaction to the unknown. It’s not always a sign that an idea is bad. Often, it flags a profound shift that we need to manage with extra care, especially when it involves human-centric roles. The challenge is to move from instinctive rejection to intelligent evaluation. Here’s how to lead through the tech that feels a bit too close for comfort.

• Acknowledge the squirm factor openly. When a new technology feels intrusive, name that feeling in discussions with your team. Pretending it’s all just cold, hard logic ignores the human element that will ultimately determine adoption. By giving the discomfort a name, you create a safer space for everyone to voice concerns and move past initial reactions to examine real functionality and risk.
• Separate the person from the principle. My aversion to an AI nurse was personal. But the principle — using technology to augment care in a staffing crisis — is sound. Drill down into the core problem the innovation solves. Is it safety, scale, accessibility, or precision? Judge the tool by its ability to address that principle effectively, not by your personal comfort with its most futuristic application.
• Focus on augmentation, not replacement. Physical AI will support human capability in fields that are stretched thin, which means leaders should frame it as a capacity multiplier. In healthcare, for example, AI could handle routine monitoring so nurses can focus on complex care. In transportation, AI could reduce human error so professionals can concentrate on higher‑level decision-making. This framing helps teams see opportunity rather than threat.

The next big innovations won’t just be in our phones or factories. They’ll be in our homes, our cars, and our hospitals. They’ll ask us to trust in new ways. Our job isn’t to be an uncritical cheerleader for every new gadget. It’s to examine our own reactions thoughtfully and guide our teams to ask the right questions. So, what’s the “AI nurse” in your industry? The one idea that makes you squirm but probably deserves a second, calmer look.

Adeline (Addy) Maissonet is a senior advisor on contracting policies and procedures within the Office of the Secretary of War, U.S. Department of War (DoW) and the agency’s representative on the Department’s views on proposed legislation to Congressional members, their staff, and committee staffers. She leads the development and implementation of Department-wide procurement policies for commodities and services, within her portfolio. Prior to her current role, Addy served as a Division Chief and Contracting Officer with unlimited warrant authority for the U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) – Fort Eustis, Virginia. Prior to joining the MICC, Addy served as a Branch Head for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC), Norfolk, Virginia, with unlimited warrant authority. She also held other procurement positions with the U.S. Navy. Addy holds an MBA in Management and Contracting Level III Certification under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act. She is a graduate from Cornell University’s Executive Leadership Certificate Program and Harvard University’s Business Analytics Certificate Program. In her free time, Addy enjoys hiking and overlanding with her family and friends.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of War.

Image by BulentYILDIZ from Pixabay