Company Expands Into Robotics with Job Listings and Plans for AI-Powered Humanoids, Signaling a Bold Step Toward AGI in the Physical World
OpenAI may be heading into the humanoid robot business, according to a new trademark application the company filed on Jan. 31.
The trademark application lists several new products the company is looking to grow, but most notably includes “user-programmable humanoid robots, not configured; humanoid robots having communication and learning functions for assisting and entertaining people.”
OpenAI also appears to be hiring for a new robotics team.
The company website has job listings for a mechanical product engineer, robotics and senior research engineer, robotics. Both would be part of OpenAI’s robotics team, which the company said is “focused on unlocking general-purpose robotics and pushing towards AGI-level intelligence in dynamic, real-world settings” as it strives “to seamlessly blend high-level AI capabilities with the physical constraints of physical robotic platforms.”
The senior research engineer position is for OpenAI’s robotics initiative and would focus on developing foundational models and shaping the direction of the company’s early-stage robotics efforts.
CEO Sam Altman wrote on his blog that the company is shifting its focus now that he’s confident it knows how to build AGI as it was traditionally defined. He said he believes that this year may be the year we see the first AI agents “join the workforce” and “materially change the output of companies.”
“We are beginning to turn our aim beyond that, to superintelligence in the true sense of the word,” Altman wrote. “We love our current products, but we are here for the glorious future. With superintelligence, we can do anything else.
“Superintelligent tools could massively accelerate scientific discovery and innovation well beyond what we are capable of doing on our own, and in turn massively increase abundance and prosperity.”
It’s not just humanoids OpenAI looks to be expanding into. The application lists more than 70 new products related to computer software, hardware, AI-related products and related services including data processing units for AI, high-performance computing and data center operations, wearable computers and cameras, wireless communication devices, virtual and augmented reality headsets, goggles, glasses, controllers and remotes.