Meta Launches Team to Develop AI-Powered Humanoid Robots
Meta is making a major push into artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robotics by forming a dedicated team within its Reality Labs hardware division, as highlighted in PYMNTS. According to a Bloomberg report on Friday (Feb. 14), the team will be led by Marc Whitten, the former CEO of General Motors’ Cruise self-driving unit, and will bring in about 100 engineers this year.
The company’s focus will be on developing humanoid robots capable of performing household chores, as well as AI, sensors, and software that could be integrated into other robotic products manufactured by various companies.
Meta’s Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, highlighted the strategic importance of this move in an internal memo, stating: “The core technologies we’ve already invested in and built across Reality Labs and AI are complementary to developing the advancements needed for robotics.”
While Meta has not provided an official comment to PYMNTS, reports indicate that the company anticipates humanoid robots will not become mainstream for several years but believes they will be a key focus area for both Meta and the broader tech industry.
Meta’s announcement comes amid a wave of new developments in the robotics industry. Apple is reportedly working on both humanoid and non-humanoid robots for smart home applications, though its projects remain in the early proof-of-concept stage and are unlikely to reach mass production before 2028.
Similarly, OpenAI has signaled its interest in robotics, having filed a trademark application covering robotic products and begun hiring for a dedicated robotics team earlier this month.
Meanwhile, established robotics firms are gaining momentum. On Feb. 13, Apptronik announced that it raised $350 million to scale manufacturing of its AI-powered humanoid robot, Apollo, to meet rising industry demand. In January, 1x, a humanoid robotics firm, acquired startup Kind Humanoid to enhance its development efforts, emphasizing that robots need to be built to “live and learn among us.”
With major tech companies and robotics firms accelerating their efforts, the AI-powered robotics space is shaping up to be a battleground for the next wave of innovation.