Recently, the humanoid robot company Figure announced via social media that it has officially terminated its partnership with artificial intelligence giant OpenAI. This decision has surprised industry insiders, especially since Figure had reached an agreement with OpenAI last year to jointly develop a new generation of AI models for humanoid robots.
Figure's founder, Brett Adcock, stated that the company has made "significant breakthroughs" in end-to-end robotic AI technology, and thus decided to shift its focus towards independent research and development. He did not disclose specific technical details but mentioned that an innovative result that could "disrupt the humanoid robot industry" will be launched within the next 30 days.
Image source note: Image generated by AI, image authorized by service provider Midjourney
Behind this decision, Adcock pointed out the challenges of technology integration. Although OpenAI holds a leading position in the field of general artificial intelligence, its technology fundamentally differs from Figure's focus on physical robots. He emphasized that to achieve truly marketable robotic intelligence, a vertically integrated system from hardware to software must be established, and the AI "brain" also needs to be tailored for the robot.
It is noteworthy that OpenAI's recent trademark application submitted to the U.S. Patent Office indicates that it is planning in the fields of "programmable humanoid robots" and "entertainment service robots with learning capabilities," which has sparked widespread speculation in the industry. Although a patent application does not equate to specific product planning, the sudden termination of the partnership with Figure inevitably draws attention to OpenAI's future moves.
Despite Figure having raised $675 million in funding, with a peak valuation of $2.6 billion and a total of $1.5 billion in cumulative funding, the company still faces competitive pressures in the market. Like Figure, OpenAI has also heavily invested in the Norwegian startup 1X, which primarily focuses on the home service market. In contrast, Figure's main clients are still enterprises, such as BMW, which has deployed Figure robots at its factory in South Carolina.
Now, with Figure deciding to independently develop its technology, the future evolution of the humanoid robot industry is worth ongoing attention.
