Figure AI, a robotics company developing general-purpose humanoid robots, announced it’s exiting its deal with OpenAI. The Bay Area-based company will instead focus on in-house AI development after a “major breakthrough,” according to CEO Brett Adcock.
Figure and OpenAI had partnered last year to develop next-generation AI models for humanoid robots. However, integration proved challenging due to OpenAI’s massive breadth and focus on different areas of AI.
“We can’t outsource AI for the same reason we can’t outsource our hardware,” Adcock said in an interview. “To solve embodied AI at scale, you have to vertically integrate robot AI.”
Figure has instead opted to build its own end-to-end AI model focused on powering its specific hardware. The company recently raised $675 million, valuing it at $2.6 billion.
This decision comes as OpenAI itself is exploring humanoid hardware, filing a trademark application for “user-programmable humanoid robots.” Figure’s focus remains on commercial and residential use, with partnerships with automakers like BMW.
The news marks a surprise given OpenAI’s significant influence in the cultural zeitgeist. The partnership was aimed at developing AI models for humanoid robots, but integration proved to be an insurmountable challenge.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/04/figure-drops-openai-in-favor-of-in-house-models