A key figure leaves OpenAI to develop in-house models.

Figure AI, a robotics company aiming to introduce a general-purpose humanoid robot for commercial and residential use, announced on Tuesday its decision to end its collaboration with OpenAI. This Bay Area-based company has chosen to focus on developing its internal artificial intelligence after achieving a "significant breakthrough." In a subsequent conversation, Brett Adcock, founder and CEO, remained tight-lipped about specific details, although he promised that within the next 30 days, he would present "something no one has seen in a humanoid."

OpenAI has been a significant investor in Figure, and last year both announced an agreement to develop next-generation AI models for humanoid robots. Additionally, Figure raised $675 million, which valued the company at $2.6 billion, bringing its total funding to date to $1.5 billion.

The news has surprised many, given OpenAI's impact on current culture. The mere association with this company typically brings a boost to public profile. In August, both companies had revealed that the humanoid Figure 02 would use OpenAI models for natural language communication. However, Adcock pointed out that the issue lies in integration, as OpenAI, being a massive company, has a broad reach and intelligence models that do not focus on embodied AI.

According to Adcock, the most suitable solution is to develop an integrated AI model that is specifically designed to operate particular hardware. "We found that to solve embodied AI at scale in the real world, we need to vertically integrate robotic AI," he stated. "We can't outsource AI for the same reason we can’t outsource our hardware."

OpenAI has maintained a cautious stance in the realm of humanoid robotics, also being a significant investor in the Norwegian startup 1X, which focuses more on home technology, while most humanoid companies are directed toward factory and warehouse automation. Despite exploring domestic applications, Figure's priority remains the development of technology for more lucrative sectors, as evidenced by BMW's implementation of Figure robots in a South Carolina factory.

On the other hand, OpenAI recently filed a patent referring to humanoid robots that can be programmed by users and possess communication and learning functions to assist and entertain people. Although intellectual property registrations do not guarantee future products, it is noteworthy that this news has emerged in a short period of time.

The significant funding rounds have allowed Figure to rapidly expand its hardware and software teams, as well as move to larger offices in the Bay Area to accommodate its growing staff. In the realm of proprietary software development, the Apple-like ecosystem-building approach stands out for effectively generating software that works optimally with its own hardware, although it is a resource-intensive process.

Meanwhile, other humanoid robotics companies, such as Boston Dynamics, are collaborating with research institutes like Toyota's to incorporate intelligence into their robots.