OpenAI has disbanded its robotics division. Then it came back. Now, OpenAI is revealing more about its plans for the revived team through a social media post by its hardware director and a newly published job description.
Caitlin Kalinowski, who joined OpenAI last November from Meta's AR glasses division to lead hardware, said in a post on X on Friday that OpenAI will develop its own robots with custom sensor suites.
In the post, Kalinowski highlighted new OpenAI Robotics job openings with additional information.
According to the listing, OpenAI's robotics team will focus on “general purpose,” “adaptive,” and “versatile” robots that can operate with human-like intelligence in “dynamic” and “real-world” environments. I'll guess. OpenAI plans to create new sensors and computational elements for robotics that leverage AI models developed in-house by the company.
One of the listings says, “We work across the entire model stack, integrating cutting-edge hardware and software, and considering a wide range of robot form factors.” “We strive to seamlessly blend high-level AI capabilities with the physical constraints of physical robotic platforms.”
One of the listings suggests that OpenAI intends to hire contract workers to test robot prototypes. Some believe that the company's robots may have limbs.
The Information recently reported that OpenAI is considering building its own humanoid robot.
Whatever form it ultimately takes, OpenAI's robots will someday reach “full-scale production” if all goes to plan, one description says. OpenAI seems bullish on this initiative. Another listing says the company is looking for engineers with “experience designing mechanical systems for high-volume production (1 million or more).”
Robotics is a hot commodity. According to Crunchbase, the sector raised more than $6.4 billion in VC funding last year, demonstrating the high level of interest in a technology with endless potential applications.
Companies that develop software and systems for factory manufacturing, such as Bright Machines and Collaborative Robotics, seem to be successful in finding a niche market. So do companies like Carbon Robotics, which is developing an AI-enabled weeding robot, and Bear Robotics, which is developing a mobile robot that can carry trays and packages.
However, it is humanoid robots that are attracting the most attention.
Both X1 and Figure are backed by OpenAI and seek to develop general-purpose robots that move more or less like humans. Although the challenges are formidable, these companies argue that technology has reached a point where mass production of humanoid robotic systems is a realistic short-term goal.
The many disappointments in recent robotics history suggest that it is easier said than done.
Robots aren't the only hardware projects OpenAI is actively working on. Legendary former Apple product designer Jony Ive confirmed last year that he was working with OpenAI on new devices, and OpenAI is said to be designing custom chips to run AI models. There is.