OpenAI’s Comeback in Humanoid Robotics
With OpenAI returning to the terrain, it might be looking at exciting developments ahead. However, the company had never really strayed far from the robotics space.
Headquartered in San Francisco, USA, the artificial intelligence research organization OpenAI has consistently made headlines over the past few years. From launching ChatGPT in 2022 to the drama surrounding CEO Sam Altman and the board of investors in 2023, it is now turning its attention back to humanoid robotics. OpenAI had a dedicated robotics team until three years ago when this division was shut down due to insufficient training data, as revealed by co-founder Wojciech Zaremba in a podcast interview. Interestingly, on December 24, 2022, a report from The Information cited two sources indicating that OpenAI is exploring the development of a humanoid robot.
A humanoid robot is designed to mimic human physical characteristics such as arms, legs, and a head, enabling it to perform tasks that range from simple to complex.
Investments in Robotics
Even after disbanding its robotics division, OpenAI has continued to invest in this field. In February 2023, it partnered with multiple investors, including Microsoft and Nvidia, to invest in Figure AI, a startup dedicated to developing a general-purpose humanoid robot. According to OpenAI’s VP of product and partnerships, Peter Welinder, “We’ve always planned to come back to robotics and we see a path with Figure to explore what humanoid robots can achieve when powered by highly capable multimodal models.” This investment also includes 1X Technologies, a company working on integrating AI models with robotics, and another startup, Physical Intelligence.
Moreover, OpenAI has been recruiting in robotics since early 2024, indicating a potential revival of its original robotics team.
Future Prospects
Humanoid robots are increasingly being utilized to test AI in various sectors, including workplaces and warehouses. Major players in this field include Boston Dynamics, Tesla Optimus, and Sanctuary AI. OpenAI’s renewed focus presents numerous possibilities for future innovations. However, it’s essential to note that the recent reports do not conclusively outline robotics as a high-priority area for OpenAI.
Nevertheless, with recent product launches and AI advancements, these robots could soon be capable of performing complex tasks, responding intuitively to human interaction, and being integrated across industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and even caregiving.
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