Figure Teams Up with OpenAI, Attracts Jeff Bezos\’ Funding and Tech Titans
Startup Aims to Revolutionize Global Labor with Billions of Humanoid Robots
A Rapid Rise
Operating for less than two years, the company has not yet launched a commercial product but is already compelling top tech investors to back its grandiose plan.
The Vision
Its goal is to ship billions of human‑like robots into both workplaces and households around the world.
Investor Outreach
- Attracts influential tech industry backers who see the potential for a paradigm shift.
- Secures funding to drive large‑scale production and deployment.
- Targets global markets, promising seamless integration into everyday life.
OpenAI Joins Forces with Figure to Build AI‑Powered Humanoid Robots
San Francisco’s AI pioneer is soon to thread its advanced language models into the bodies of humanoid machines, following a fresh partnership with the robotics start‑up Figure.
Figure, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, revealed the collaboration on Thursday, securing $675 million (€623.5 million) in venture capital from a consortium that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Microsoft, Nvidia, and several investor arms of Amazon, Intel, and OpenAI.
Figure’s Bold Vision
Although less than two years old, Figure has already attracted heavy‑weight backers with its goal: to deliver billions of human‑like robots into work sites and homes worldwide.
- CEO Brett Adcock says the company could sell “millions, possibly billions” of robots if they can perform jobs that people currently pass over.
- Figure has yet to roll out a commercial product but is working toward a future release.
What OpenAI Brings to the Table
OpenAI, famed for its ChatGPT language model, is primed to supply Figure with specialized AI capabilities. Vice President of Product and Partnerships Peter Welinder noted that the alliance will “open up new possibilities for how robots can help in everyday life.”
The deal, though undisclosed in monetary terms, will see OpenAI tailoring its technologies—such as GPT language models, DALL‑E image generator and the new Sora video generator—to the robot’s hardware.
- These AI systems will enable the robots to process and reason based on language.
- Such integration is expected to speed up Figure’s commercial timeline.
Early Test Work
In January, Figure announced a pilot with BMW to deploy its robots in a plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Exact uses and schedules remain under review.
Industry Take‑aways
Robotics specialists debate the value of truly human‑shaped robots. While many industrial robots feature robotic arms, grippers, or even legs, they lack full humanoid form due to engineering challenges, particularly with robotic locomotion.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has hinted at a renewed focus on robotics in a recent podcast with Microsoft co‑founder Bill Gates. He explained that the company had once halted its own robot research because of poor simulators and hardware issues, but now believes that advanced intelligence is the key to effective physical robotic integration.
Altman added:
“We started robots too early and had to put that project on hold. We realized that the first requirement was intelligence and cognition, after which we could determine how to make it physically capable.”
