My latest at Forbes:
Humanoid robots are no longer a futuristic fantasy; Figure’s advanced machines are deploying at Catalyst Brands, the retail behemoth behind JCPenney, Aeropostale, and Brooks Brothers. This isn’t a small trial, but a major integration with a company boasting $9B in revenue and 60,000 employees across 1,800 stores. The strategic link is clear: Brookfield, a 50% owner of Catalyst, also significantly invested in Figure’s Series C, valuing the robotics firm at an astounding $39B.
These pioneering humanoids will initially tackle physically demanding supply chain tasks at Catalyst’s Nevada Distribution Logistics Center. This marks Figure’s second major employment milestone in mere weeks, following Agility’s Digit’s first paying gig. Yet, the announcement has been met with an overwhelmingly negative social media reaction, driven by widespread fears of job displacement. Figure insists these deployments are specifically for logistics and distribution, not customer-facing retail.
However, the core insight from Koetsier is the “real tension” at play: while AI and robotics companies promise job creation, this outcome remains largely unproven. If these technologies ultimately result in a net negative for employment, the societal impact will be profound, making government intervention not just a possibility, but a necessity. The Catalyst deployment provides a crucial, real-world test case for this unfolding economic paradigm.