Roboticists believe that by using new AI techniques, they will achieve something the field has pined after for decades: more capable robots that can move freely through unfamiliar environments and tackle challenges they've never seen before. "It's like being strapped to the front of a rocket," says Russ Tedrake, vice president of robotics research at the Toyota Research Institute, says of the field's pace right now. Tedrake says he has seen plenty of hype cycles rise and fall, but none like this one. "I've been in the field for 20-some years. This is different," he says.

The average robot density in the manufacturing industry hit a new global record of 113 units per 10,000 employees. By regions, Western Europe (225 units) and the Nordic European countries (204 units) have the most automated production, followed by North America (153 units) and South East Asia (119 units). The world s top 10 most automated countries are: Singapore (1), South Korea (2), Japan (3), Germany (4), Sweden (5), Denmark (6), Hong Kong (7), Chinese Taipei (8), USA (9) and Belgium and Luxemburg (10). This is according to the latest World Robotics statistics, issued by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). "Robot density is the number of operational industrial robots relative to the number of workers," says Milton Guerry, President of the International Federation of Robotics.

The three countries are leading an artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, Malcolm Frank, head of strategy at leading outsourcing firm Cognizant, told CNNMoney in an interview. Frank is the co-author of a recent book entitled "What to Do When Machines Do Everything," on the impact artificial intelligence will have on the global economy in the coming years. "I think it's three horses in the race, and that's probably the wrong metaphor because they are all going to win," he said. "They are just going to win differently." While AI is progressing quickly elsewhere too, Frank said the other development hotspots are mainly city hubs such as London and Stockholm, or far smaller economies such as Estonia.

When it comes to making machines to perform tasks that humans have done for years, the United States, China and India are far ahead of anyone else, according to a top tech industry executive. The three countries are leading an artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, Malcolm Frank, head of strategy at leading outsourcing firm Cognizant, told CNNMoney in an interview. Frank is the co-author of a recent book entitled "What to Do When Machines Do Everything," on the impact artificial intelligence will have on the global economy in the coming years. "I think it's three horses in the race, and that's probably the wrong metaphor because they are all going to win," he said. "They are just going to win differently."

From drone warfare to self-checkout lines at the grocery store, the change is clear. Sales of automated industrial "robots" rose 15% year-over-year in 2015, to reach an annual record of 253,748 units, according to the International Federation of Robotics. Those units were valued at $11 billion, 9% more than the year before. That lifted the total installed base, worldwide, to 1.6 million industrial bots, a number that the IFR projects will reach 2.6 million in 2019. For investors, it smells like opportunity.