The world of robotics is heating up, with humanoid robot maker Figure making significant strides. The company secured $675 million in venture capital funding and partnered with OpenAI, a renowned artificial intelligence research lab. This impressive investment round included backing from tech giants like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Microsoft, chipmaker Nvidia, and the startup-funding arms of Amazon, Intel, and even OpenAI.
Though only two years old, the Figure has ambitious plans to bring billions of human-like robots into homes and workplaces worldwide. They believe these robots can fill labor gaps and address critical needs in various sectors. CEO Brett Adcock emphasized this vision: “If we can just get humanoids to do work that humans do not want to do…we can sell millions of humanoids, billions maybe.”
The partnership with OpenAI is crucial to Figure’s vision. OpenAI, known for its popular AI language model ChatGPT, will develop specialized AI models specifically for Figure’s robots. These models, likely based on OpenAI’s existing technology, like GPT language models and image generators like DALL-E, will allow the robots to “process and reason from language,” according to Figure’s announcement. This significantly enhances the robots’ capabilities and paves the way for more versatile and intelligent interactions.
While Figure has already secured a deal with BMW to deploy their robots in a South Carolina car plant, the specific details and timeline still need clarification. The company faces challenges, as some robotics experts question the practicality of humanoid robots, citing their complexity and awkwardness compared to non-humanoid alternatives. However, Figure’s partnership with OpenAI and the backing of tech giants like Bezos and Microsoft demonstrate a strong belief in the potential of humanoid robots and their ability to revolutionize various industries in the long run.