TechCrunch has announced a new "Real World AI Stage" for its Disrupt 2026 conference, splitting its previously single AI-focused stage into two to reflect the rapid growth of artificial intelligence coverage. The new stage will focus on the convergence of digital and physical technology, examining how autonomous hardware is expanding beyond self-driving cars into public spaces, defence applications, homes, and even conservation science.

The lineup includes speakers from Nvidia, Shield AI, Colossal Biosciences, FieldAI and Foxglove, with sessions covering topics such as the data gap holding back general-purpose robotics, safety and validation standards for autonomous defence and industrial systems, the use of AI in de-extinction science, and how AI systems operate in disconnected, edge environments. Confirmed speakers include Nvidia's Les Karpas, Shield AI's Nate Michael, Colossal Biosciences CEO Ben Lamm, and Dr Ali Agha, with more still to be announced. TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 runs from 13–15 October at San Francisco's Moscone West.