US artificial intelligence startup OpenAI established a robotics division this year. Job postings show that the company is exploring embodied intelligence, including custom electromechanical actuators, simulation processes, and robot data collection.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said yesterday while appearing on the video podcast Sources Podcast: “We will definitely develop humanoid robots, and we will also make robots in other forms.”
Altman believes that the real world is largely designed for humans. People have designed tools such as computers and cars around their own physical structure. Therefore, building robots with a human form is reasonable, as they need to serve humans.
However, Altman believes that not all robots need to be humanoid. When a humanoid structure offers no practical advantage, OpenAI will design non-humanoid robots for specific users. He explained: “Of course, there are also data center robots in different forms. But a robot’s form is not the most important thing; what really matters is the robot’s brain.”
As for future applications, Altman believes that humanoid robots are unlikely to enter ordinary homes directly in the near term. He would rather apply robots to industrial areas such as data center construction and maintenance. General-purpose robots for individual users will be a long-term goal for the company.
He said: “I believe that in the future, everyone will have their own robot. I would really like to have a personal robot that could do the things I do not want to do for me.”