Historically, this has not been the case. Collecting data enabled speech recognition, image recognition (and subsequent breakthroughs), machine translation.
What is so special about Robotics that collecting data will not enable anything?
This is true. But Waymo is dealing with the same kind of challenges and it seems that they are already at a point, where their technology (enabled, among other things, by collecting tons of data) is useful.
I expect Robotics (in particular, solving manipulation) to follow the same route: super expensive R&D, multiple false starts, but eventually (tons of data => breakthrough to get smarter robots).
Collecting data will not enable anything. Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and others are doing it since 10 years and no "breakthrough" in sight.