We’re living on the brink of one of the most transformative leaps in human evolution: the merging of human capabilities with AI and robotics. This isn’t just the stuff of sci-fi anymore. Picture a future where we don’t just work with tech but actually become part of it.

In this post, we'll dive into the possibilities of humanity augmented with AI and Robotics, who’s driving the innovation, and how investors might position themselves as this future becomes reality.

As great investors, we aren’t just looking at what’s happening around us right now. We are looking at the future for what will be.

AI might be one of the most under-appreciated themes in investing in recent years. It’s bigger than the computers. It’s the next level up. If computers turned our productivity from a 1 to a 2, the combination of AI and robotics has the potential to make it a 10.

This could be transformative not only for how and where we work, but also how we live, how we run our societies, and how countries interact on the global stage. When sweatshops in China become more expensive to run than a robotic factory in Dallas, our recent global trends of the past fifty years could all be upended in just a few short years.

This is the future, and it’s coming faster than most appreciate.

Becoming 'Borg

The word Cyborg is an old cliche now. The term caught our imagination in the 1960s and has been the plaything of science fiction since then. The idea is a human augmented with robotic parts.

But the reality is creeping up on us with a very different style. The mobile phone is now permanently attached to most of us. While not embedded in our bodies yet, that seems like the logical next step. It’s the extra limb we never had.

There are a plethora of medical implants that we’ve been using for decades now. While they don’t have the same visual impact, they still make us part machine. Think of pacemakers, artificial joints, hearing devices, fake teeth, and artificial lenses for our eyes. There are many more on the way.

These devices aren’t just add-ons or repairs.

They're an augmentation of our bodies, changing what it means to be human.

Take artificial hearts, for example. We’ve taken one of the most iconic parts of the human and supercharged it. We’ve remade it in the image of C-3PO.

These aren't just mechanical pumps. They aren’t just keeping people alive. They are a reimaging of the rules of humanity. Of what we can BECOME.

The line between human and machine is becoming less defined with each passing day.

These devices, implants, and accessories, and our reliance on them, are exploding at an amazing rate. From wearable tech to neural interfaces, technology is pushing beyond external tools to become integrated with our physical and mental capabilities.

Imagine having a chip in your brain that gives you virtually complete audiovisual recall of every moment in your life since it was implanted. Imagine a chip that speeds up your brain to calculate math problems at a million times the speed you currently can. It would be like looking at a math problem on a page and knowing the answer without even thinking about it.

Imagine having an operating system running on a small computer in your brain, just like having your mobile phone miniaturized and directly connected to your thoughts. There would be no need to physically swipe right. Or charge our phones. A direct interface. No fingers, eyes, and ears as intermediaries. A direct connection.

So much of the energy and cost of a phone is in the screen. The interface device. It’s also the greatest limitation in terms of what we can do with a phone. Remove the restriction of a phone, by interfacing directly with our brains, and the possibilities are limitless.

Instantaneous knowledge
Instantaneous entertainment

Imagine if you are choosing a new company to invest in, and you are scrolling through ticker codes: BHP, AAPL, TSLA, MIN, CBA, FB… As soon as you see each code, you know everything there is to know about that company. You know its chart pattern, who’s invested in it, the last twenty years of financials, all the metrics, how its customers and competitors are faring… Not only that, but you also know where it will likely be trading tomorrow, next week, next year…

The ramifications are immense. We are only limited by our imaginations, willpower and the cashflow to see these dreams become reality.

Think about the implications this has on education as well. Why spend years in school or university memorizing information when you can instantly access and recall anything you need, the moment you need it?

The need for traditional education structures could be completely reimagined. Learning could become a matter of downloading data into your brain, bypassing the usual constraints of time and effort.

AI-assisted memory, robotic prosthetics that make human strength limitations a thing of the past, and brain-to-computer connections that allow us to control devices with our minds. This is a future where Cyborgs aren't just characters in movies but everyday people enhanced by technology.

Key Sectors Powering This Shift

AI-Powered Healthcare

AI in healthcare is laying the groundwork for smarter diagnostics, real-time health monitoring, and customized treatments.

Companies like Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) are pioneering robotic surgeries that are precise, minimally invasive, and adaptive. The great thing about robots is they don’t fake their qualifications. They don’t come to work hungover. A robot has never been through an emotional drawn out divorce that distracts them and reduces their job performance.

At least not yet.

They have faster reaction times, greater precisions and the emotional stability of an accountant. Plus they never go on strike for higher wages.

Again, not yet at least.

The da Vinci surgical robot (Source: Intuitive Surgical)

Another example is NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), whose AI frameworks are widely used in research for predictive analytics, helping doctors anticipate and manage health issues before they arise.

AI is also playing a huge role in drug discovery. Companies like BenevolentAI (Euronext Amsterdam:BAI) are leveraging AI to sift through millions of compounds, drastically cutting down the time needed to discover effective new drugs. Imagine a world where life-saving medications are created in months instead of years.

Robotics in Physical Augmentation

Prosthetics and exoskeletons are no longer rudimentary tools—they’re sophisticated devices that restore and amplify human abilities. Companies like Ekso Bionics (NASDAQ:EKSO) are building wearable robotics, allowing people with disabilities to walk again, while Cyberdyne (TYO:7779) (no Terminators here, promise!) is developing exoskeletons to improve the strength and endurance of factory workers. These innovations represent early steps toward human-machine integration.

The applications for exoskeletons extend beyond the medical and industrial fields. Imagine soldiers equipped with exoskeletons, making them stronger and less vulnerable to physical fatigue. Imagine rescue workers able to lift massive debris to save lives after natural disasters. This is the future of augmented physical capability.

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs)

This is where things start to feel straight out of science fiction. Companies like Elon Musk's Neuralink and Australian-founded Synchron are developing brain-computer interfaces to directly connect our minds to machines. While it’s early days, BCIs have the potential to revolutionize every aspect of lives through direct mind control over technology.

Imagine controlling your home—lights, temperature, security—just by thinking about it. Or communicating with someone across the globe without needing to speak a word. The potential applications of BCIs stretch far beyond convenience; they could redefine how we connect with each other and with the world around us.

Medical Implants

Medical implants are taking huge leaps forward, moving from simple mechanical devices to highly sophisticated biotech solutions that integrate seamlessly with the human body. Companies like Opthea (ASX: OPT) are advancing vision restoration with innovative treatments that can work in tandem with implantable devices to improve eyesight.

Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) has a range of innovative implantable devices. Emblem MRI S-ICD Systems is an implantable defibrillator which can deliver an electric shock directly to the heart, essentially reversing death.

The company's Neuromodulation division has a range of implantable electronic devices which stimulate the brain and spine with electrical impulses. This type of technology is used to treat chronic pain as well as other debilitating conditions like Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and Tourette syndrome, to name a few.

Neuromodulation implants (Source: Boston Scientific)

It's easy to imagine a world where a variety of implants like this are constantly monitoring our vitals and delivering adjustments to keep us in optimal shape. These implants could evolve to not just treat conditions but enhance human abilities—improving memory, focus, or even physical strength.

Replacement Parts

We're also seeing breakthroughs in 3D organ printing.

3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) makes—you guessed it—3D printers. Nothing groundbreaking in that. They are very good at it though. You could say they are at the front of the pack when it comes to this technology.

The interesting part is they don't just sell 3D printers that work with plastic and metal. They also sell bioprinters for the 3D printing of organic tissue, including organs.

United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) is just one of the companies using this new technology. They expect human trials for 3D-printed lungs in humans in the next 5 years.

We've already seen examples of 3D-printed human hearts, kidneys, and livers. It's just a matter of time until all the bugs are ironed out, the clinical trials are completed, and these can be custom designed and ordered for same-day surgery.

The days of human transplant donors are coming to an end.

Additionally, CollPlant (NASDAQ:CLGN) is growing human-type collagen in genetically modified tobacco plants. While the biggest deals so far are for breast implants and dermal fillers, the potential for 3D-printed organs and other regenerative medicine is enormous.

Soft tissue bioprinting with a vascular network (Source: Collplant)

Like everything else in our bodies, collagen wears out.

So why settle for second-hand collagen from a donor or an animal when we can use freshly grown, lab-engineered collagen? The manufactured organs we use in the future won't just replace our existing parts—they'll be superior upgrades, designed for longevity and performance. This technology also brings us closer to the concept of creating "designer organs," where we could enhance certain biological capabilities.

This also raises the possibility of the Birth of the Android. Close cousin to the Cyborg, Androids are humanoid robots made to look and feel like humans, using soft tissue. This is where the Terminator steps in.

Looking Forward

For investors, the opportunity lies in identifying companies that are both visionary and grounded in achievable goals. As with all investments, cash is king.

Look for companies that have both the ambition to innovate and the financial stability to make those innovations reality.

Companies like Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) are making strategic investments in AI, robotics, and healthcare technologies. These giants generate significant cash flow, allowing them to fund groundbreaking research while maintaining financial security.

If you want to play it safe, the big tech players investing heavily in these fields are the way to go. They’re already cash-generating, have diversified portfolios, and are using their resources to stay ahead in the AI and robotics space.

For those with a higher risk tolerance, there are many exciting plays in the emerging technology sector. United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) and CollPlant (NASDAQ:CLGN) are diving into 3D-printed organs, and Ekso Bionics (NASDAQ:EKSO) is expanding the possibilities of human-robotic physical augmentation. These are companies still in the growth stage, and while they carry more risk, the potential rewards could be transformative.

The blending of AI and robotics with human biology isn’t without its hurdles—ethical, regulatory, and technological. But every step forward brings us closer to a future where humans see greater integration with machines and AI.

For investors, the key is spotting the companies poised to lead in sectors like healthcare, robotics, and neural interfaces. We’re just at the beginning of the Cyborg era, and those who position themselves now could be in for a transformative ride.

So don't be shy. Start your Cyborg transformation today by augmenting your portfolio with some great growth stocks.

The Birth of the Cyborg: Humanity Augmented by AI and Robotics

Becoming 'Borg