AI-driven robotics could become a growing source of global electricity demand as adoption expands across industries, Wood Mackenzie said in a Monday note.
Labor shortages, aging populations and rising labor costs are encouraging manufacturers to automate operations, while supply-chain resilience efforts are also supporting robotics investment, Wood Mackenzie said.
Advances in artificial intelligence, computer vision and machine learning now allow robots to handle more complex tasks across factories, logistics, healthcare and service industries, the firm said.
The broader adoption of robotics will add electricity demand alongside AI data centers, electrification and industrial growth, creating another factor for utilities to consider in long-term planning.
As robotics expands across manufacturing and logistics, industrial robots will draw more electricity directly from the grid, unlike hyperscalers that often seek low-carbon power for data centers.
Heavily automated markets could see the largest effects as robotics adoption, improvements in energy efficiency and manufacturing growth shape the impact on electricity demand, Wood Mackenzie said.
Investment in humanoid robotics is accelerating as AI training capabilities improve and equipment costs fall, although the technology remains in an early commercial stage, according to Wood Mackenzie.
Policy support, manufacturing capacity and a growing domestic ecosystem have made China a leader in humanoid robotics, while broader adoption could increase electricity demand across sectors.
Robotics could become an increasingly important element in long-term power forecasts as deployment expands, although the timing and scale of adoption remain uncertain, Wood Mackenzie said.