OpenAI, a leading research organization in artificial intelligence (AI), has announced a collaboration with Figure AI, a prominent robotics firm, aimed at sharing next-generation AI models for humanoid robots. This partnership not only involves a significant investment but also entails a joint effort to develop cutting-edge AI models tailored for humanoid robots. By leveraging OpenAI's extensive research and Figure AI's profound expertise in robotics, spanning both hardware and software, the collaboration seeks to expedite the progress of humanoid robots in understanding and processing human language.
According to an official statement, the primary objective of this collaboration is to empower Figure AI in enhancing the capabilities of its humanoid robots, thereby accelerating its developmental timeline. By integrating advanced multimodal AI models, the partners aim to enable robots to engage in sophisticated language processing and reasoning tasks. This strategic alliance underscores the commitment of both OpenAI and Figure AI to explore the vast potential of robotics in everyday life, opening up new avenues for human-robot interaction and collaboration.
Peter Welinder, the VP of Product and Partnerships at OpenAI, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “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.” Figure AI, founded in 2022 in Sunnyvale, California, gained prominence with the introduction of its general-purpose robot, Figure 01, renowned for its human-like movements. Led by CEO Brett Adcock, the company boasts a team of top robotics experts from renowned companies such as Tesla, Google DeepMind, Boston Dynamics, and Archer Aviation, demonstrating its commitment to innovation and advancement in AI and robotics.