Disembodied AI
Lives in software only
Receives text or images as input
Generates text or images as output
No physical presence in the world
Exists only when called upon
Mistakes are corrected by follow-up
Example: a language model in a browser
Embodied AI
Exists in physical space
Perceives the world through sensors
Acts on the world through actuators
Occupies and navigates physical space
Persists continuously through time
Mistakes can cause physical consequences
Example: a robot navigating a hospital

Embodiment changes what an AI can do — and what it means. An AI that occupies physical space, persists through time, and acts on the world is the kind that raises questions purely digital AI does not.