OpenAI is re-building its robotics team to create the brains for robots.

OpenAI is hiring for its robotics team again. If you remember, when OpenAI started, robots were a big part of their focus. In 2020, they abandoned those plans (for several reasons) to go all in into language models. Now, they're going back to robots, but with a twist.

What is going on here?

OpenAI is re-building its robotics team to create the brains for robots.

What does this mean?

OpenAI is reviving its robotics team, but this time with a new focus on providing AI models to other robotics companies rather than building their own robots. Instead, they are leveraging their AI expertise to partner with robotics companies like Figure AI, providing them with the "brains" to power their robots. This new team only came into existence just two months earlier.

This shift allows OpenAI to contribute to the growing field of AI-powered robotics without directly competing with these companies. They will focus on developing the underlying AI models that enable robots to perform tasks like speech and reasoning, while leaving the hardware development to others.

Why should I care?

OpenAI's investment in robotics companies like Figure AI (which raised $745 million), 1X Technologies ($125 million), and Physical Intelligence ($70 million) indicates a significant funding trend in AI-powered robotics.

By partnering with robotics companies, OpenAI can narrow its focus on advancing AI models, especially in light of its expanding ambitions in areas like media generation, AI devices, and search.