OpenAI is reportedly exploring the development of humanoid robots as part of a potential expansion of its existing artificial intelligence software portfolio. According to sources, the company has engaged in talks about entering the robotics market, with a particular focus on creating robots that resemble humans. This interest in robotics is not a novel pursuit for OpenAI; it previously operated a robotics division which was ultimately shuttered prior to the launch of its GPT-3 AI model. Furthermore, OpenAI continues to invest in a variety of robotics startups through its investment initiative.
OpenAI Could Reportedly Enter the Robotics Space
The Information has reported on OpenAI’s aspirations to construct humanoid robots, citing two anonymous individuals familiar with the discussions. The report indicates that recent considerations have been made towards developing robots with human-like characteristics. However, details remain unclear regarding whether these discussions are preliminary or if a strategic plan is already in place.
It is worth noting that OpenAI had an active robotics division since its founding, albeit without any product releases or prototypes. In 2021, OpenAI Co-Founder Wojciech Zaremba, who was at the helm of the robotics division, confirmed its closure, attributing the decision to a scarcity of training data that hindered the team’s ability to elevate their systems to the desired intelligence level.
Nonetheless, a report from IoT World Today earlier this year suggested that OpenAI has recently opened several job positions for research engineers to join a newly formed robotics team. The job descriptions indicated that the research would focus on training multimodal large language models aimed at enhancing the capabilities of partnered robots.
The “partners” mentioned may include various robotics startups in which OpenAI has invested. For instance, in February 2024, OpenAI took part in a funding round for Figure AI, which was led by notable figures including Jeff Bezos, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Intel. OpenAI has also made investments in 1X Technologies and is involved in integrating its GPT AI models into those startups’ robotic systems. Additionally, in November, the company invested in Physical Intelligence, which is developing AI-driven software designed to give robots human-like understanding and dexterity.
With limited information available, it is challenging to gauge the specifics of OpenAI’s vision for humanoid robots. However, given the recent launch of its o3 series of AI models focused on advanced reasoning, the company may be gearing up to create robots capable of executing a range of real-world tasks across various environments, potentially with simple verbal instructions.
