HomeMeta acquires robotics startup to advance humanoid AI development
Meta has acquired humanoid robotics startup Assured Robot Intelligence for an undisclosed amount, the social media company announced.
"We have acquired Assured Robot Intelligence, a company pioneering robotic intelligence designed to help robots understand, predict, and adapt to human behavior in complex, dynamic settings," a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch in an emailed statement.
ARI's team, including its co-founders, will join Meta's AI unit within the Superintelligence Labs research division. The startup had previously raised an undisclosed seed round from AI-focused investment firm Aix Ventures.
The company was developing foundation models for humanoid robots capable of performing various physical tasks, including household chores. Co-founder Xiaolong Wang is a former Nvidia researcher and an associate professor at UC San Diego, with numerous prestigious awards to his credit. Co-founder Lerrel Pinto, a former NYU professor, co-founded the child-sized humanoid startup Fauna Robotics, which Amazon acquired last month, and has also received several distinguished awards.
The acquisition will support Meta's ambitions in humanoid robotics. "Led by Lerrel Pinto and Xiaolong Wang, this team brings deep expertise in designing our models and frontier capabilities for robot control and self-learning, specifically for whole-body humanoid control," the spokesperson added.
Meta researchers have been exploring humanoid robotics technology for years. A leaked internal memo from last year outlined the company's goals to build such a robot, including developing both AI models and consumer-targeted hardware.
Even if Meta never launches a consumer humanoid product, many AI experts now believe that achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) — the theoretical point where AI matches or exceeds human intelligence across all domains — will require training AI models in the physical world. This approach allows robots to learn through direct interaction, not just data analysis.
The acquisitions of ARI and Fauna Robotics are part of a wider industry race. Market forecasts vary significantly, from Goldman Sachs' projection of a $38 billion market by 2035 to Morgan Stanley's estimate of $5 trillion by 2050. This wide range highlights both the immense potential and the current uncertainties surrounding this emerging technology.
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Meta has acquired humanoid robotics startup Assured Robot Intelligence for an undisclosed amount, the social media company announced.
"We have acquired Assured Robot Intelligence, a company pioneering robotic intelligence designed to help robots understand, predict, and adapt to human behavior in complex, dynamic settings," a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch in an emailed statement.
ARI's team, including its co-founders, will join Meta's AI unit within the Superintelligence Labs research division. The startup had previously raised an undisclosed seed round from AI-focused investment firm Aix Ventures.
The company was developing foundation models for humanoid robots capable of performing various physical tasks, including household chores. Co-founder Xiaolong Wang is a former Nvidia researcher and an associate professor at UC San Diego, with numerous prestigious awards to his credit. Co-founder Lerrel Pinto, a former NYU professor, co-founded the child-sized humanoid startup Fauna Robotics, which Amazon acquired last month, and has also received several distinguished awards.
The acquisition will support Meta's ambitions in humanoid robotics. "Led by Lerrel Pinto and Xiaolong Wang, this team brings deep expertise in designing our models and frontier capabilities for robot control and self-learning, specifically for whole-body humanoid control," the spokesperson added.
Meta researchers have been exploring humanoid robotics technology for years. A leaked internal memo from last year outlined the company's goals to build such a robot, including developing both AI models and consumer-targeted hardware.
Even if Meta never launches a consumer humanoid product, many AI experts now believe that achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) — the theoretical point where AI matches or exceeds human intelligence across all domains — will require training AI models in the physical world. This approach allows robots to learn through direct interaction, not just data analysis.
The acquisitions of ARI and Fauna Robotics are part of a wider industry race. Market forecasts vary significantly, from Goldman Sachs' projection of a $38 billion market by 2035 to Morgan Stanley's estimate of $5 trillion by 2050. This wide range highlights both the immense potential and the current uncertainties surrounding this emerging technology.
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