The Dawn of Social Robots: Singapore's Leap into a Human-AI Future

SINGAPORE – May 27, 2026 – The vision of robots seamlessly interacting with people in bustling public spaces is taking a significant step toward reality. Singapore-based intelligent operations leader Certis and Silicon Valley robotics firm IntBot today announced a strategic partnership to develop and deploy socially intelligent humanoid robots across the city-state. This collaboration aims to integrate advanced Physical AI into everyday life, transforming sectors from hospitality and healthcare to public transit.

The partnership marks a pivotal moment for the robotics industry, signaling a shift from contained, task-oriented machines to adaptive, socially aware robots designed to augment human workforces and enhance public services. By combining IntBot’s cutting-edge General Social Intelligence technology with Certis’s deep expertise in managing complex, real-world operations, the initiative seeks to solve one of the biggest challenges for embodied AI: natural and effective human interaction.

Beyond Automation: The Rise of Social Intelligence

For decades, the most visible robots have been confined to factory floors, performing repetitive tasks behind safety cages. The next frontier, known as Physical AI, involves placing autonomous systems directly into dynamic human environments. Success in this realm is measured not just by a robot's ability to perform a task, but by its capacity to understand and navigate complex social cues.

This is the challenge IntBot was created to address. While many robotics companies focus on mobility and manipulation, IntBot has prioritized building a “social intelligence layer” for AI. “With multimodal models maturing, the decisive bottleneck for embodied AI shifts from task manipulation to human interaction,” said Lei Yang, CEO and co-founder of IntBot. “A robot's success in public spaces is increasingly measured by its ability to engage people.”

Current social robots, such as those seen in some hotels or retail stores, often rely on pre-scripted workflows and have limited ability to handle unexpected situations or nuanced conversations. This partnership aims to move far beyond that. The goal is to create humanoid concierge and service-assistance applications that can interpret human intent, understand social context, and respond naturally, making them truly helpful assistants rather than novelties.

These robots will be designed for a range of customer-facing roles, including wayfinding in complex venues like airports, providing multilingual visitor assistance, and offering customer service support. By moving beyond scripted interactions, they can become more intuitive and adaptive partners in everyday environments.

A Strategic Alliance: Operational Expertise Meets AI Innovation

For any advanced technology to succeed at scale, it requires more than just innovative software; it needs a robust operational framework. This is where Certis’s role becomes critical. With a global team of over 25,000 and decades of experience running mission-critical security and facilities management, Certis provides the real-world grounding for IntBot’s AI.

Certis’s strategy is built on an “ops-tech model” that orchestrates people, processes, and machines into a single, efficient system. This partnership is a natural extension of that philosophy. “The next phase of enterprise robotics will not be defined by autonomy alone, but by how well robots can work with people in real operations,” explained Raahul Kumar, Chief Executive, International & Robotics and Chief Strategy Officer at Certis. “Certis designs and runs complex frontline environments every day, so our role is to help turn promising robotics capabilities into practical operating models.”

Certis's credibility in this domain is underscored by its recent appointment as a design partner for Singapore’s first large-scale robotics testbed at Punggol Digital District. This government-backed initiative reflects a national commitment to moving robotics from controlled pilots into practical frontline operations. For IntBot, partnering with a company so deeply embedded in operational design validates its technology and provides a clear path to scaling its enterprise platform in high-traffic public environments.

Singapore as a Living Lab for Human-Robot Collaboration

Singapore’s position as a global leader in smart infrastructure and its proactive approach to technology adoption make it the ideal launchpad for this ambitious project. The nation’s well-documented challenges, including an aging population and a tight labor market, create a powerful demand for innovative solutions that can enhance productivity and service quality without solely relying on human labor.

The potential applications are vast. In healthcare, socially intelligent robots could assist with patient navigation in hospitals and provide multilingual information, freeing up clinical staff to focus on patient care. In hospitality, they could manage concierge duties and provide personalized recommendations, enhancing the guest experience. Across public transit hubs, retail centers, and event venues, these robots could offer on-demand assistance, making public spaces more accessible and efficient.

The collaboration aims to integrate these humanoid robots into Certis’s existing portfolio, creating a hybrid workforce where humans and machines work in tandem. This approach is not about replacing human workers but augmenting their capabilities.

Navigating the Human Element

The deployment of autonomous robots into public life raises important questions about safety, public acceptance, and the future of work. The success of this initiative will depend heavily on addressing these human factors. Public trust is paramount, and robots must operate in a way that is safe, predictable, and respectful of social norms.

The partnership is structured to tackle these challenges head-on. Certis will be responsible for shaping the use cases and operational workflows to meet stringent requirements for safety and reliability. IntBot’s social intelligence layer is designed to make the robots’ behavior more intuitive and understandable to the public, reducing the uncertainty and apprehension that can accompany new technology.

Regarding the impact on employment, both companies emphasize a model of workforce augmentation. By automating routine and repetitive tasks—the “dull, dirty, and dangerous” work—the robots can empower frontline teams to concentrate on more complex, high-value responsibilities that require empathy, critical thinking, and nuanced problem-solving. This can lead to more engaging and rewarding roles for human employees.

As the technology and use cases mature, Certis and IntBot are working toward initial pilot deployments in Singapore. This collaboration is more than just a business deal; it is a carefully designed experiment to define the future of human-robot collaboration, setting a global precedent for how society can integrate intelligent machines to build a safer, smarter, and better world.