There is no mistaking it: Physical AI is in the midst of its Silicon Valley moment. With venture capital once again flowing into robotics, hardware and real world AI, TechCrunch Disrupt Week has put together a slate of events that any founder or investor would be well advised to attend.

Arizona is becoming one of America’s most important semiconductor manufacturing hubs. From TSMC and Intel to suppliers, advanced packaging, and workforce development, billions of dollars are reshaping Greater Phoenix into a major center for the future of chips. Here is why semiconductor companies are choosing Arizona and what is driving the investment boom.

Physical AI is moving fast from software hype into the real world. In this episode of Silicon Valley Unplugged, Robot.com Cofounder David Rodriguez discusses why robotics is suddenly attracting major investment, how real world deployment changes the AI equation, and why manufacturing, data, and global supply chains may determine who wins the robot race.

This Prime Day, Amazon wants AI to do more than help you shop. Its agentic AI can track prices, make decisions and even buy for you when the price is right. Here is how the technology works and why it could change online shopping.

Sparknify will produce Founders After Hours: Taiwan Innovation Meets Capital, an Official TechCrunch Side Event bringing Taiwanese startup founders together with Silicon Valley investors, corporate venture teams, and strategic partners on October 13 in San Francisco.

From more than 3,000 worldwide submissions, Down The Hatch, The Way You Sea Me, and BENCH received the top honors at the 2026 Sparknify Human vs. AI Film Festival. Sweet Fruit was also recognized as the festival’s Special Selection.

TALENT TAIWAN has opened its first overseas location in Silicon Valley, creating a permanent bridge between Taiwan and the Bay Area. The Palo Alto branch will connect professionals, founders, investors and companies with career, startup, investment and relocation opportunities in Taiwan.

Over the past twelve months, generative AI has gone from making strange experimental clips to producing increasingly cinematic video with sound, continuity, camera control, and professional editing workflows. As AI moves deeper into filmmaking, the bigger question is no longer whether machines can make movies, but whether they can make us feel something real.