New Delhi, May 25 -- Home services startup Pronto has found itself at the centre of a controversy following reports the company was piloting a system to let service partners record work carried out inside customers' homes. The recordings are intended to be used as training data for what many in the tech industry see as the next frontier of artificial intelligence: machines and robots that can operate in the physical world.

But what exactly is physical AI, why has Pronto's pilot triggered concerns, and is this really a new phenomenon? Mint explains.

Physical AI refers to systems designed to function in the real world- from factories and warehouses to homes. These systems are typically robots or autonomous machines built to navigate space...