Meta's Ambitious Leap into AI-Powered Humanoid Robots for Household Chores

Meta is developing humanoid robots designed for household chores

Forward-looking: Meta is reportedly planning major investments in AI-powered humanoid robots. The company is said to be in the initial stages of developing futuristic bots that can perform household chores, and is already assembling a crack team for the cutting-edge project. According to sources quoted by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Meta does not intend to develop a branded robot like Tesla's Optimus. Instead, the company is looking at supplying the sensors and AI software to OEMs that will manufacture and sell the actual hardware. However, Meta hasn't written off the possibility of developing a first-party humanoid robot in the future. To get the project off the ground, Meta is assembling a new team led by Marc Whitten, the former CEO of GM's Cruise self-driving car division. The team will be part of Meta's Reality Labs hardware unit that is responsible for products like the Quest VR headset and the Ray-Ban smart glasses. Building any piece of machinery comes with its own set of risks, and the robots will be no exception. To alleviate safety concerns, Meta will develop software and hardware tools to prevent accidents, such as a person's fingers getting caught in the robot's machinery. The company also plans to ensure that nothing untoward happens if the power goes off unexpectedly or the device malfunctions in the middle of a task. Meta has yet to officially announce its humanoid robot project, so the exact details about it are still murky. However, the company is said to be in negotiations with major robotics and AI firms, including Unitree Robotics and Figure AI Inc, for collaborations on the project. According to one of the sources, Meta is still at least a couple of years away from bringing the humanoid robot to the market, and it could take "years" for the company's robotic platform to underpin third-party products. There's no word on the price either, but given that Tesla is targeting a $30,000 price tag for the consumer version of Optimus, we don't expect this to be affordable. It is worth noting that some media outlets are already billing this development as possible competition for Tesla's Optimus, but the report suggests that the two may not be direct competitors, at least initially. According to Gurman, Meta wants to sell its robot to families for household chores and home automation, while Tesla is focused on selling the Optimus to businesses and factories to replace human workers.

Meta Is Developing AI-Powered Humanoid Robots Set To Transform Household Chores, Bringing Jetsons' Rosey To Life

Companies are increasingly focused on finding ways to improve their products through the use of AI and establish themselves as innovative in the industry. Meta, too, has been vigorously working to bring about some noteworthy upgrades and make progress in artificial intelligence. Now, reports are coming about the tech giant working on developing humanoid robot hardware that is meant to handle daily household chores and make it easier for users to leave mundane tasks to the humanoid robot hardware. According to a Bloomberg report, Meta is developing an AI-powered humanoid robot designed to assist with household chores. Meta is reportedly forming a new division within its Reality Labs for the initiative, which would be focused on using Meta's AI models to perform tasks such as folding laundry or putting the dishes in the dishwasher. Meta would be developing the software, sensors, and AI for the robots, which will be given out to various companies to manufacture them. Initially, the robot would not be under Meta's branding and the company is involved in discussions with robotic companies such as Unitree Robotics and Figure AI for the project. In a memo, the Chief Technology Officer of Meta, Andrew Bosworth, stated that Meta has already invested greatly in Reality Labs and AI to achieve advancements in robotics. He further stated: We believe that expanding our portfolio to invest in this field will only accrue value to Meta AI and our mixed and augmented reality programs. To carry out this initiative, Meta has hired former Cruise CEO Marc Whitten as the Vice President of Robotics. Whitten also has experience with Microsoft, Unity, and Amazon, and the company is looking for his expertise to be applied to the new project. This move also aligns with the tech giant's broader goals of using augmented reality and AI to transform household chores and bring about more futuristic concepts. Meta is not the only company thinking about consumer home robots, as Apple has been considering adding them to its smart home offering, and it is possibly the next big project it is working on. Google has also been advancing in the field by publishing papers and investing more in robotics research. These developments by not just Meta alone but other big companies as well show that the concept that mirrors The Jetson's, Rosey the Robot, is being turned into reality. While sparse details are available for now, we could get more insights as the company progresses further in its project.

Meta is reportedly working on humanoid robots that help with chores

In building the platform manufacturers use, it wants to be the Android of androids. If you look at your Roomba with disgust, thinking about what a far cry it is from the Jetsons' Rosey the Robot, help is on the way. Bloomberg reported on Friday that Meta plans to leverage its advances in AI and augmented reality to build a platform for futuristic humanoid robots that can help with household chores like folding laundry. Meta is reportedly creating a new team within its Reality Labs hardware division, which handles Quest VR headsets and the long-term Orion AR glasses project. Although it will build robot hardware during development, Meta's long-term goal is more like Android, where Google makes the software platform that almost all of the industry (outside of Apple) uses. Meta would make the underlying sensors, AI and software for other companies to put inside their hardware. In other words, it wants to be the Android of androids. At least initially, Meta plans to make household chores the project's central focus. Bloomberg lists folding laundry, carrying glasses of water, putting dinnerware in the dishwasher and other home chores as examples to build excitement around what could be an unsettling product category for many people. (For examples of why those concerns may be warranted, look no further than the Unitree G1 robot that ran full-speed at Engadget's Karissa Bell at CES, momentarily pinning her against the onlooking crowd.) Speaking of Unitree, Meta has reportedly held early discussions with the Chinese robotics company, which also makes a quadruped "robot dog" that can run around, climb stairs and sit on its hind legs like a good girl. Meta is also said to have discussed its plans with California-based humanoid robot maker Figure AI, which can count OpenAI, Nvidia, Microsoft, Intel and Jeff Bezos among its investors. Today's humanoid robots aren't advanced enough to pitch in around the house like Rosey, but Meta believes all the resources it's sinking into AI and XR are paving a road to that destination. Although the company thinks it will be a few years before useful humanoid robots are widely available, Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth reportedly views the company's progress in hand tracking, low-bandwidth computing and always-on sensors as advantages. "The core technologies we've already invested in and built across Reality Labs and AI are complementary to developing the advancements needed for robotics," Bosworth reportedly wrote in a memo. "We believe that expanding our portfolio to invest in this field will only accrue value to Meta AI and our mixed and augmented reality programs."

Meta Plans Major Investment Into AI-Powered Humanoid Robots

(Bloomberg) -- Meta Platforms Inc., after pushing into augmented reality and artificial intelligence, has identified its next big bet: AI-powered humanoid robots. The company is making a significant investment into the category -- futuristic robots that can act like humans and assist with physical tasks -- and is forming a new team within its Reality Labs hardware division to conduct the work, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Meta plans to work on its own humanoid robot hardware, with an initial focus on household chores. Its bigger ambition is to make the underlying AI, sensors and software for robots that will be manufactured and sold by a range of companies, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the initiative hasn't been announced. Meta has started discussing its plan with robotics companies, including Unitree Robotics and Figure AI Inc. At least initially, it doesn't plan to build a Meta-branded robot -- something that could directly rival Tesla Inc.'s Optimus -- but it may consider doing so in the future, the people added. The humanoid effort mirrors exploratory projects at other technology giants, including Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google Deepmind division. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment. Meta confirmed the creation of the new team to employees Friday, telling them it will be led by Marc Whitten, who resigned as chief executive officer of General Motors Co.'s Cruise self-driving car division earlier this month. He was previously an executive at gaming company Unity Software Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. "The core technologies we've already invested in and built across Reality Labs and AI are complementary to developing the advancements needed for robotics," Andrew Bosworth, Meta's chief technology officer, wrote in a memo reviewed by Bloomberg News. He mentioned the company's advancements in hand tracking, computing at low bandwidth and always-on sensors. Meta executives believe that while humanoid robotics companies have made headway in hardware, Meta's advances in artificial intelligence and data collected from augmented and virtual reality devices could accelerate progress in the nascent industry. Current humanoids are still not useful enough to fold clothes, carry a glass of water, place dishes in a rack for cleaning or conduct other home chores that could get consumers interested in the category. "We believe that expanding our portfolio to invest in this field will only accrue value to Meta AI and our mixed and augmented reality programs," Bosworth wrote. Whitten, who will report to Bosworth, will have headcount to hire around 100 engineers this year, one of the people said. Meta's goal is to provide what Google's Android operating system and Qualcomm Inc.'s chips did for the phone industry by building a foundation for the rest of the market. The software, sensors and computing packages that Meta is already developing for its devices are the same technologies that are needed to power humanoids, according to one of the people involved in the project. Meta has been investing billions of dollars for years into its Reality Labs hardware division, which sells products like the Quest VR headset and the increasingly popular Ray-Ban smart glasses. Meta plans to spend $65 billion this year on related products, including artificial intelligence infrastructure and the new robot work. Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk has said that his company's Optimus robot will eventually be sold to consumers and could cost around $30,000. Tesla is beginning limited production this year. Other businesses also have made headway. Boston Dynamics, for instance, has already brought products to market for automation in warehouses. Some companies are focused on selling to businesses and manufacturers, while Meta's intention is to sell into homes. Humanoids are an evolution of the work companies have been doing in autonomous vehicles. They use similar underlying technologies and require large amounts of data and AI processing. But while the safety stakes are lower -- roaming a person's home instead of traveling 50 miles per hour on an open road -- Meta executives believe humanoids are more challenging because every person's home has a different layout, while city streets are fairly standardized. Meta will build some of its own hardware, use off-the-shelf components and work with existing manufacturers as soon as it can, said the people with knowledge of the project. They added that building prototypes and hardware is key for testing ahead of deploying a platform, even if Meta itself doesn't ultimately release a branded product. The company is pitching its work as the platform of choice for robot development, one of the people said, adding that the goal was to make Meta's Llama software a foundation for robotics researchers around the world. Meta will also seek to develop tools for robot safety, addressing possible dangers such as a person's hand getting caught in an actuator or another part of a humanoid robot. There are also issues related to power safety, such as how a robot powers down or stops functioning mid-task if it runs out of power. While the official push into humanoid robots is new for Meta, the company's FAIR, or Fundamental AI Research Group, has been exploring and publishing papers on robotics work for months. Apple recently started publishing AI papers related to robotics work as well. One person with knowledge of the project said that Meta believes humanoids are still a couple of years away from being widely available -- and it could be years before the company's platform is ready to underpin third-party products. But it will become a major focus for Meta and the broader tech industry, the person said.

Meta plans major investment into AI-powered humanoid robots

Meta Platforms Inc., after pushing into augmented reality and artificial intelligence, has identified its next big bet: AI-powered humanoid robots. The company is making a significant investment into the category -- futuristic robots that can act like humans and assist with physical tasks -- and is forming a new team within its Reality Labs hardware division to conduct the work, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Meta plans to work on its own humanoid robot hardware, with an initial focus on household chores. Its bigger ambition is to make the underlying AI, sensors and software for robots that will be manufactured and sold by a range of companies, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the initiative hasn't been announced. Meta has started discussing its plan with robotics companies, including Unitree Robotics and Figure AI Inc. At least initially, it doesn't plan to build a Meta-branded robot -- something that could directly rival Tesla Inc.'s Optimus -- but it may consider doing so in the future, the people added. The humanoid effort mirrors exploratory projects at other technology giants, including Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google Deepmind division. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment. Meta confirmed the creation of the new team to employees Friday, telling them it will be led by Marc Whitten, who resigned as chief executive officer of General Motors Co.'s Cruise self-driving car division earlier this month. He was previously an executive at gaming company Unity Software Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. "The core technologies we've already invested in and built across Reality Labs and AI are complementary to developing the advancements needed for robotics," Andrew Bosworth, Meta's chief technology officer, wrote in a memo reviewed by Bloomberg News. He mentioned the company's advancements in hand tracking, computing at low bandwidth and always-on sensors. Meta executives believe that while humanoid robotics companies have made headway in hardware, Meta's advances in artificial intelligence and data collected from augmented and virtual reality devices could accelerate progress in the nascent industry. Current humanoids are still not useful enough to fold clothes, carry a glass of water, place dishes in a rack for cleaning or conduct other home chores that could get consumers interested in the category. "We believe that expanding our portfolio to invest in this field will only accrue value to Meta AI and our mixed and augmented reality programs," Bosworth wrote. Whitten, who will report to Bosworth, will have headcount to hire around 100 engineers this year, one of the people said. Meta's goal is to provide what Google's Android operating system and Qualcomm Inc.'s chips did for the phone industry by building a foundation for the rest of the market. The software, sensors and computing packages that Meta is already developing for its devices are the same technologies that are needed to power humanoids, according to one of the people involved in the project. Meta has been investing billions of dollars for years into its Reality Labs hardware division, which sells products like the Quest VR headset and the increasingly popular Ray-Ban smart glasses. Meta plans to spend $65 billion this year on related products, including artificial intelligence infrastructure and the new robot work. Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk has said that his company's Optimus robot will eventually be sold to consumers and could cost around $30,000. Tesla is beginning limited production this year. Other businesses also have made headway. Boston Dynamics, for instance, has already brought products to market for automation in warehouses. Some companies are focused on selling to businesses and manufacturers, while Meta's intention is to sell into homes. Humanoids are an evolution of the work companies have been doing in autonomous vehicles. They use similar underlying technologies and require large amounts of data and AI processing. But while the safety stakes are lower -- roaming a person's home instead of traveling 50 miles per hour on an open road -- Meta executives believe humanoids are more challenging because every person's home has a different layout, while city streets are fairly standardized. Meta will build some of its own hardware, use off-the-shelf components and work with existing manufacturers as soon as it can, said the people with knowledge of the project. They added that building prototypes and hardware is key for testing ahead of deploying a platform, even if Meta itself doesn't ultimately release a branded product. The company is pitching its work as the platform of choice for robot development, one of the people said, adding that the goal was to make Meta's Llama software a foundation for robotics researchers around the world. Meta will also seek to develop tools for robot safety, addressing possible dangers such as a person's hand getting caught in an actuator or another part of a humanoid robot. There are also issues related to power safety, such as how a robot powers down or stops functioning mid-task if it runs out of power. While the official push into humanoid robots is new for Meta, the company's FAIR, or Fundamental AI Research Group, has been exploring and publishing papers on robotics work for months. Apple recently started publishing AI papers related to robotics work as well. One person with knowledge of the project said that Meta believes humanoids are still a couple of years away from being widely available -- and it could be years before the company's platform is ready to underpin third-party products. But it will become a major focus for Meta and the broader tech industry, the person said

Meta's next big bet might be AI humanoid robots for at-home chores

What's next for Meta? The social media giant's interests have swayed wildly over the past few years. Phones, crypto, tablets, metaverse, smart glasses, and finally, AI. The next avenue for Meta is apparently humanoid robots. According to Bloomberg, the company is pouring resources into the development of AI-powered humanoid robots. "Meta plans to work on its own humanoid robot hardware, with an initial focus on household chores," says the report. Recommended Videos The pivot is not surprising. In 2021, the company gave a glimpse of its DIGIT tech for robotic fingers. It relies on a vision-based tactile sensor to identify the objects it is gripping and simulate what us humans refer to as "touch." The company also partnered with Carnegie Mellon researchers to develop a low-cost, replaceable touch-sensing skin for robots called ReSkin. The elastomer-based surface mimics the human skin for accurately applying pressure levels. Unlike Elon Musk and his Optimus robot, which are still firmly rooted in the vaporware territory, Meta is not merely planning to hawk robots that handle household chores. Meta chief, Mark Zuckerberg, is apparently eying a firm position in the industrial supply chain itself. To that end, the company is building the whole stack so that it can sell the underlying tech -- or parts of it -- to interested companies. The social media titan hopes to sell the foundation elements of a humanoid robot, to put it in simpler terms. That includes the underlying software for making sense of the world around it (aka computer vision), the sensor assembly, and computing modules. Meta is reportedly seeing the humanoid robot project as an avenue for integrating the work it has already done with AI, augmented and mixed reality (AR and MR), as well as hardware sensing. Unsurprisingly, Meta hopes to push its Llama AI models as an apt platform for robotics, as well. The biggest difference compared to the likes of Boston Dynamics is that Meta wants to make humanoid robots that will assist with at-home tasks, instead of getting deployed into workhouses and factories. ReSkin: versatile, replaceable, lasting tactile skins Now, I am not sure how many people would be psyched about the idea, especially with the company's not-so-stellar track record with user privacy. And it seems Meta knows the risks, as well. "At least initially, it doesn't plan to build a Meta-branded robot -- something that could directly rival Tesla Inc.'s Optimus -- but it may consider doing so in the future," adds the report. Meta has reportedly hired the chief of General Motors' self-driving tech division to lead its robotics effort. The company is also said to be in talks with Unitree Robotics and Figure AI to begin its work. The humanoid robot project will reportedly fall under the aegis of Meta's Reality Labs division, which is already busy developing the holographic Orion smart glasses, mixed reality software ecosystem, and a bunch of sensor tracking hardware, too.

Report: Meta Betting on AI-Powered Humanoid Robots

Meta is betting big on humanoid AI-powered robots, Bloomberg reports. The company has reportedly formed a new division within its Reality Labs unit, which developed the Meta Quest VR headset, which will initially focus on developing hardware for robots that can assist with physical tasks like household chores. The unnamed new division will be led by Marc Whitten, former CEO of General Motors' self-driving car division Cruise, and it will look to hire 100 engineers in 2025. The company has reportedly already begun talks with robotics companies like Chinese firm Unitree Robotics and US startup Figure AI. But rather than directly launching a branded robot, like Tesla's Optimus, Meta plans to develop AI systems, sensors, and software for robots that will then be manufactured and sold by a range of companies, much like how smartphone manufacturers all over the world use Google's Android operating system. Meta is allegedly aiming for its upcoming LLaMA language model to become "a foundation for robotics researchers around the world." Though Meta isn't aiming squarely at the consumer market, Bloomberg reports that Meta still plans on building hardware, using existing components, and will build prototypes for testing purposes. However, the sources said that Meta hasn't ruled out the option of one day launching a consumer-facing robot. Rather than working separately from its AR and VR projects, Meta executives reportedly hope that the division will be able to leverage data collected from the firm's augmented and virtual reality devices to spur advances in robotics. This shouldn't come as that much of a surprise, Meta has been open about its plans to use data collected from its Quest VR headsets to improve its products. But robotics aficionados shouldn't get their hopes up, at least in the short term. A source with knowledge of the project told Bloomberg that it "could be years" before Meta's platform is ready to power third-party robotics. It's not just Meta turning its eye toward humanoid robotics. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the iPhone maker is "exploring both humanoid and non-humanoid robots for its future smart home ecosystem, though the products are still early proof-of-concept (POC) stage internally." Meanwhile, Nvidia has also been bullish on the future of robotics and physical AI. At CES 2025 last month, CEO Jensen Huang predicted the market for humanoid robotics could soon hit $38 billion in the coming decades, saying that "the ChatGPT moment for general robotics is just around the corner."

Meta is diving into AI-powered humanoid robots

Meta is looking to be the go-to marketplace for robo-tech, with the company planning to develop its own humanoid robot hardware and later become a lead developer of the robots' AI-based backbone. The effort will be spearheaded by a new hardware division in Meta's Reality Labs (Quest VR and Ray-Ban smart glasses), reported Bloomberg, and will focus on robotics that can help with household tasks, first. Plans for a Meta-branded robot butler aren't happening yet, according to the company, but they're not off the table. Meta has also begun talks with robotics companies like Unitree Robotics and Figure AI Inc., the publication reported, as it plans to harness its already existing software, sensors, and computing packages -- the same tech powering Reality Labs' offerings and many exploratory autonomous vehicle (AV) projects -- along with existing tech and collaborations with manufacturers. Meta's new division will also focus on developing robot safety standards. "The core technologies we've already invested in and built across Reality Labs and AI are complementary to developing the advancements needed for robotics," wrote Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth in an internal memo. "We believe that expanding our portfolio to invest in this field will only accrue value to Meta AI and our mixed and augmented reality programs." Last week, Meta began a round of global layoffs -- set to affect at least 4,000 employees across the U.S., Europe, and Asia -- as part of a years-long "efficiency" plan to reduce its workforce and lean into AI. A few weeks prior, Meta had reorganized its internal divisions to allocate more resources to its generative AI group and began fast-tracking hiring for machine learning engineers, reported Reuters.

Apple humanoid robot could have one huge advantage as Meta announces its project

A new report suggests that Apple and Meta could end up competing in the humanoid robots field. The social media company is said to be making "significant investment" in this product category, with a focus on household chores. But if Apple does proceed with its own reported domestic robot plans, the Cupertino company could have a huge advantage ... Say the word 'robot' to most people and they immediately think of a sci-fi humanoid robot able to perform domestic chores - a kind of robobutler. Apple is already rumored to be working on this type of device. Bloomberg last year described this as a "skunk-works project," a name given to something worked on by a small team of people acting largely on their own initiative, and quite distinct from the company's main product development roadmap. I expressed my view at the time that this is a decade or more away, if Apple even goes forward with it. Indeed, a report last week suggested that we may be waiting several years just for a relatively simple table-top robot, despite the revelation of that cute table lamp. Bloomberg reports that Meta has developed a strong interest in AI-powered humanoid robots, seeing this as a key focus. Meta has identified its next big bet: AI-powered humanoid robots. The company is making a significant investment into the category -- futuristic robots that can act like humans and assist with physical tasks [...] Meta plans to work on its own humanoid robot hardware, with an initial focus on household chores [and] has started discussing its plan with robotics companies, including Unitree Robotics and Figure AI Inc [...] Meta confirmed the creation of the new team to employees Friday. Interestingly, it suggests that the first robot may not have Meta branding; the company is more interested in providing the AI smarts for hardware built by other brands. However, it says that we may see Meta-branded robots further down the line. While I still see truly capable domestic robots as a long-term bet, if there's one thing likely to accelerate the timeline it's multiple companies competing in the same area. Perhaps Meta's jump into this field might see Apple's humanoid robot project promoted from hobby to something more mainstream within the company. So far, autonomous robots have been geared to commercial use. This includes Boston Dynamics' dog-like Spot, designed for patrol and inspection duties, and looking like something straight out of a terrifying dystopian SF movie in which packs of these device hunt down humans. But the company does have the humanoid Atlas model in development, pitched at warehouse and manufacturing duties. The transition to domestic work is likely to take significantly longer simply because of the very different price points consumer robots have to hit. Tesla is working on a model it expects to cost $30,000, which is a very niche market even if the real price doesn't end up being inflated in the usual Tesla-esque way. Having a humanoid robot in your home is going to be a pretty scary prospect for many, not least because it could feel almost as intrusive as having a stranger in your home - a stranger equipped with multiple cameras.

Like Apple, Meta is Working on Humanoid Robots

Facebook parent company Meta is investing heavily in AI-powered humanoid robots, according to a report from Bloomberg. Meta wants to create robots that can act like humans and help people with physical tasks, and has developed a new team in its Reality Labs hardware to work on the project. Meta's first focus will be on robots that can do household chores, but the company's overarching goal is to develop AI, sensors, and software for robots that can be manufactured and sold to third-party companies to allow those companies to develop their own robots. Meta is aiming to be the Android of robots. Robot technology is not currently advanced enough to allow robots to fold clothes, do dishes, or complete other household chores, but Meta feels that its work in artificial intelligence and virtual reality could boost robot development. In 2025, Meta will spend around $65 billion on artificial intelligence infrastructure, robotics, and virtual reality products. Meta plans to build some of its own hardware, and work with robotics manufacturers to build prototypes. If Meta does end up creating a humanoid robot, it could compete with an Apple-designed robot in the future. Apple is working on both humanoid and non-humanoid robots, but the company's work on humanoid robotics is in the proof-of-concept stage and years away from launching. Non-humanoid robots could come sooner. Apple is said to be working on a tabletop robot with an iPad-style display that's attached to a robotic arm, and such a product could come as early as 2026 or 2027. Apple robotics researchers recently shared details on a lamp-like robot prototype with lifelike movements and human-like interaction capabilities.

Meta's next big bet is humanoid robots, plans shape for a new future

TL;DR: Meta plans to invest billions in research and development focused on humanoid robotics. After betting massively on augmented and virtual reality, Meta has selected its next venture - AI-powered humanoid robotics. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Meta will be pouring a significant amount of money into the research and development of AI-powered humanoid robotics, whose focus will be on completing household chores. The recent report states Meta is forming a new team within its Reality Labs hardware division to begin the work and that internally, the company is planning on making all of the sensors, software, and AI instead of outsourcing. The currently unannounced plan involves Meta in talks with robotics companies such as Unitree Robotics and Figure AI Inc. At the moment, Meta doesn't plan on releasing a humanoid Meta-branded robot that would be similar to the likes of Tesla's Optimus robot, but according to people familiar with the matter, it isn't completely off the table. Furthermore, Meta confirmed the formation of the new team within the company to employees on Friday and that this team will be led by the former CEO of General Motors Co.'s Cruise self-driving car division, Marc Whitten. "The core technologies we've already invested in and built across Reality Labs and AI are complementary to developing the advancements needed for robotics," wrote Andrew Bosworth, Meta's chief technology officer, in a memo seen by Bloomberg "We believe that expanding our portfolio to invest in this field will only accrue value to Meta AI and our mixed and augmented reality programs." The report states the new team will be looking to hire around as 100 engineers across 2025, per one of the people familiar with the matter.

Meta's next big bet may be humanoid robotics | TechCrunch

Meta is forming a new team within its Reality Labs hardware division to build robots that can assist with physical tasks, Bloomberg reported. The team will be responsible for developing humanoid robotics hardware, potentially including hardware that can perform household chores. Meta's new robotics group, which will be led by Marc Whitten, driverless car startup Cruise's former CEO, will also create robotic software and AI, according to Bloomberg's reporting. Whitten has also had stints at Amazon, Microsoft, and Sonos, according to his LinkedIn profile. To be clear, Meta's plan isn't to build a Meta-branded robot -- at least not initially. Rather, Meta executives including CTO Andrew Bosworth believe the company has an opportunity to build a hardware foundation for the rest of the robotics market, per Bloomberg -- similar to what Google accomplished with its Android operating system in the smartphone sector. Bloomberg reports that Meta has also entered into discussions with robotics companies, including Unitree Robotics and Figure AI, to possibly partner on prototypes.

Meta Is No Longer Just a Social Media Company

Like Meta, tech giants like Apple, Nvidia, X, FigureAI, and Apptronik are investing heavily in robotics to shape the future of AI-driven automation. Soon, Meta will be more than just a social media company. According to a recent report, the company is establishing a new division within its Reality Labs unit to develop AI humanoid robots. This move comes ahead of Apple's anticipated entry into the humanoid robotic space, which analysts believe is still in the proof-of-concept stage and unlikely to commence mass production before 2028. Meta chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth said in a memo that the new robotics product group will focus on "consumer humanoid robots to maximise Llama's platform capabilities." Llama is Meta's series of AI foundation models that power various generative AI products across its platforms. "We believe expanding our portfolio to invest in this field will only accrue value to Meta AI and our mixed and augmented reality programs," Bosworth wrote. Meta plans to develop its own humanoid robot hardware, initially targeting household tasks. The company is also working on AI, sensors, and software for robots manufactured by other companies and has started discussions with robotics firms, including Unitree Robotics and Figure AI. According to Bloomberg, Meta does not currently plan to launch a branded robot. The division will be led by Marc Whitten, former CEO of self-driving car company Cruise, who has been hired as Meta's vice president of robotics, according to the memo. Meta has also hired John Koryl, former CEO of second-hand e-commerce company The RealReal, as vice president of retail. Koryl will focus on selling Meta's Quest mixed reality headsets and AI wearables, such as Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, through retail partnerships and direct-to-consumer channels. Recently, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted that Apple's entry into humanoid and non-humanoid robots was in the early stages and that it may take three more years to materialise. "While the industry debates the merits of humanoid vs. non-humanoid designs, supply chain checks indicate Apple cares more about how users build perception with robots than their physical appearance (so Apple uses anthropomorphic instead of humanoid), implying sensing hardware and software serve as the core technologies," said Kuo. He added that Apple's robot mass production will likely not start until 2028 or later. Interestingly, Apple has been unusually open about sharing some of its robotics research during the early POC stage, possibly to attract talent. Similarly, NVIDIA is now turning its attention to robotics. The company recently launched Cosmos, a platform to accelerate the development of physical AI systems, such as autonomous vehicles (AVs) and robotics. In a recent interview, NVIDIA chief Jensen Huang said that the world needs an AI that understands the physical world. "It has to understand the dynamics of the physical world, like gravity, inertia, or friction, and it has to understand spatial and geometric relationships," Huang said. On the other hand, Figure AI, backed by Microsoft, is highly bullish on humanoids. The company is shipping Figure-02 humanoid robots to its second customer and has built a new Robot/AI Campus. The company is also in talks to raise a massive $1.5 billion round at a $39.5 billion valuation. The founder of the company, Brett Adcock, also recently took to X to say, "In our lifetime, you will see more humanoid robots than humans when you're out and about." At the same time, Elon Musk also has big plans for Optimus. The bipedal robot has demonstrated advanced capabilities, such as walking on uneven terrain using neural networks. Elon Musk has described it as the 'biggest product of any kind ever.' Meanwhile, US-based humanoid robotics company Apptronik has raised $350 million in Series A funding to expand the production of its humanoid robot, Apollo, and meet growing customer demand. As per the company's blog, the funding round was co-led by B Capital and Capital Factory, and Google participated as well. This comes to light after the company's latest partnership with Google DeepMind's robotics team to create truly intelligent and autonomous robots. Meta recently introduced PARTNR, a research framework to improve collaboration between humans and robots. The goal is to make robots more intuitive and helpful in everyday tasks like cleaning, delivering items, and assisting with cooking. The framework relies on large-scale simulation training before deploying robots in physical environments. Using Habitat 3.0, a simulator designed for human-robot interaction, robots learn to work alongside humans in a safe and scalable way. Meta has tested this model on Boston Dynamics' Spot robot, demonstrating its ability to work alongside humans. Last year, Meta FAIR introduced Meta Motivo, a behavioural foundation model for controlling virtual physics-based humanoid agents in complex whole-body tasks. The model mimics human-like behaviours and performs as well as task-specific methods, exceeding state-of-the-art unsupervised reinforcement learning and model-based approaches. Meta's Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) also released three new research artefacts that advance touch perception, robot dexterity and human-robot interaction, namely Meta Sparsh, Meta Digit 360, and Meta Digit Plexus. Besides this, Meta Reality Labs Research also released the Nymeria dataset publicly. The dataset provides egocentric human motion in the wild at an unprecedented scale, capturing a broad spectrum of people engaging in everyday activities across varied locations. The Nymeria dataset records real-world human motion using a combination of multimodal egocentric devices, including Project Aria glasses and miniAria wristbands. This network of sensors simulates the types of data that future wearable technologies, such as AI-powered glasses and smartwatches, could leverage.

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta to invest in AI-powered humanoid robots to...

Meta Platforms is establishing a new division within its Reality Labs unit to develop AI-powered humanoid robots that can assist with physical tasks, according to an internal company memo viewed by Reuters on Friday. The Facebook parent is entering the competitive field of humanoid robotics, joining rivals such as Nvidia-backed Figure AI and Tesla, as the emergence of advanced AI models drives innovation in robotics and automation. In the memo, Meta Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, said the robotics product group would focus on research and development involving "consumer humanoid robots with a goal of maximizing Llama's platform capabilities." Llama is the name of Meta's main series of AI foundation models, which power a growing suite of generative AI products on its social media platforms. The group will be led by Marc Whitten, the former CEO of self-driving car company Cruise, whom Meta has hired for the role, Bosworth said in the memo, which was first reported by Bloomberg News. Major tech companies and startups are pouring billions into developing AI-powered robots for manufacturing, logistics and household tasks, although progress has been slow as researchers found the language-related AI breakthroughs driving chatbot development have not necessarily helped with understanding of the physical world. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that the company's humanoid robot "Optimus" could perform many daily tasks and will eventually be sold to customers. On Thursday, Apptronik secured $350 million in funding backed by investors including Alphabet's Google to scale the production of its AI-powered humanoid robots designed for tasks in warehouses and manufacturing plants. Meta did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The company plans to develop its own humanoid robot hardware, initially targeting household chores, while aiming to create AI, sensors and software that can power robots manufactured and sold by various companies, according to the Bloomberg report. Meta has started discussing its plan with robotics companies, including Unitree Robotics and Figure AI, and does not immediately plan to launch its own branded humanoid robot, the report said.

Meta Is Looking to Get Into the AI Humanoid Robot Business

Maybe Mark Zuckerberg has just been a prototype for this project this whole time. Facebook's parent company Meta Platforms has moved beyond trying to connect humans and is ready to focus on building robotic ones. According to a report from Bloomberg, Meta is planning to pour money into a new project to build AI-powered humanoid robots. Meta reportedly plans to start the project by building a robot capable of completing household chores. But long term, it seems the company is more interested in being in the software business rather than dealing with hardware, with a focus on developing the AI that will power these machines. Basically, Meta wants to make the brains and leave the bodies up to robotics companies. It doesn't currently have ambitions to build its own Meta-branded bot, per Bloomberg, and has already started holding conversations with firms like Unitree Robotics and Figure AI. The effort will be headed up by Marc Whitten, who was serving as CEO of self-driving car company Cruise before resigning earlier this month when parent company General Motors decided to get out of the robotaxi business. Whitten's team will fall under Meta's Reality Labs division, which is coming off a modest success with its Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, managing to sell one million pairs last year. Prior to that, the department was best known for burning through $50 billion over the course of four years in an attempt to make the Metaverse a thing. They did successfully use that money to give VR avatars legs but didn't really get too far past that. Once it became clear that AI was going to be a big deal, Meta pivoted its Reality Labs department increasingly in that direction, because if you're burning through money on the thing everyone is burning money on then no one really notices. And the company reportedly believes it has a good base of data from its VR and AR experiments to help develop AI for humanoid robots. After all, it's been collecting data on how humans see and interact with the world through its devices. Last year, it announced that it would start collecting "anonymized" data from Oculus headsets including information about "hand, body, and eye tracking" and "physical environments." Additionally, any photo or video taken through the lens of Meta's Ray-Bans gets used to further train its AI systems. Now the company will try to turn all that data into the basis for software that can power humanoid robots. Meta reportedly believes these bots are still several years away from being available, and that it's even farther out from being able to serve as the underpinning AI that will be used by robotics companies for their machines. But if there is anyone who knows how to act like a human while not fully being one, it's Mark Zuckerberg.

Meta Plans Investments Into AI-Driven Humanoid Robots, Memo Shows

(Reuters) - Meta Platforms is establishing a new division within its Reality Labs unit to develop AI-powered humanoid robots that can assist with physical tasks, according to an internal company memo viewed by Reuters on Friday. The Facebook parent is entering the competitive field of humanoid robotics, joining rivals such as Nvidia-backed Figure AI and Tesla, as the emergence of advanced AI models drives innovation in robotics and automation. In the memo, Meta Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, said the robotics product group would focus on research and development involving "consumer humanoid robots with a goal of maximizing Llama's platform capabilities." Llama is the name of Meta's main series of AI foundation models, which power a growing suite of generative AI products on its social media platforms. The group will be led by Marc Whitten, the former CEO of self-driving car company Cruise, whom Meta has hired for the role, Bosworth said in the memo, which was first reported by Bloomberg News. Major tech companies and startups are pouring billions into developing AI-powered robots for manufacturing, logistics and household tasks, although progress has been slow as researchers found the language-related AI breakthroughs driving chatbot development have not necessarily helped with understanding of the physical world. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that the company's humanoid robot "Optimus" could perform many daily tasks and will eventually be sold to customers. On Thursday, Apptronik secured $350 million in funding backed by investors including Alphabet's Google to scale the production of its AI-powered humanoid robots designed for tasks in warehouses and manufacturing plants. Meta did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The company plans to develop its own humanoid robot hardware, initially targeting household chores, while aiming to create AI, sensors and software that can power robots manufactured and sold by various companies, according to the Bloomberg report. Meta has started discussing its plan with robotics companies, including Unitree Robotics and Figure AI, and does not immediately plan to launch its own branded humanoid robot, the report said. (Reporting by Katie Paul in New York and Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

Report: Meta to Form Team Focused on AI-Powered Humanoid Robots | PYMNTS.com

Meta did not immediately reply to PYMNTS' request for comment. The company plans to work on its own humanoid robot hardware, with a focus on robots that can perform household chores, as well as AI, sensors, and software that could be used by a variety of companies manufacturing and selling robots, according to the report. Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth wrote in an internal memo, per the report: "The core technologies we've already invested in and built across Reality Labs and AI are complementary to developing the advancements needed for robotics." The company is betting that humanoid robots will not be widely available for a couple of years but that they will be a major focus for Meta and the entire tech industry, according to the report. The report came shortly after news of other companies' efforts in projects involving robots.

Meta to develop humanoid robots under new Reality Labs division: Memo

Following its big bet on artificial intelligence (AI), Meta seems to have set its sight on the next major plunge. If an internal company memo accessed by Reuters is to be believed, the California-based tech conglomerate is setting up a new division as part of its Reality Labs unit to develop humanoid robots, powered by AI, which can assist with physical tasks. In the memo reviewed by Reuters, Meta's chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth revealed that the robotics product group would focus on research and development of "consumer humanoid robots" aimed at maximizing its main series of AI foundation models called Llama. According to Bosworth, expanding the portfolio to invest in this field will bring additional value to Meta AI and its mixed and augmented reality programs.

Meta wants its AI to power robots that can do your chores

Elon Musk denies knowledge of a $400 million 'Armored' Tesla deal with the Trump Administration The tech giant is building a new team in its Reality Labs division to develop the robots, which can physically move in similar ways to humans, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. The company reportedly wants to develop its own hardware, and will first focus on humanoid robots that can do household chores. In the future, Meta wants to develop AI, sensors, and other software as part of a platform for other companies who will manufacture and sell the robots, according to Bloomberg. A person told the publication that Meta wants its Llama AI software to form a foundation for robotics research. The company is reportedly in talks with Unitree Robotics, Figure AI and other robotics companies over its plans, and is not currently considering making its own humanoid robots. "The core technologies we've already invested in and built across Reality Labs and AI are complementary to developing the advancements needed for robotics," Meta chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth said in a memo seen by Bloomberg. "We believe that expanding our portfolio to invest in this field will only accrue value to Meta AI and our mixed and augmented reality programs." Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Friday, Meta confirmed to its employees that it was making a new team led by former Cruise (GM+0.61%) chief executive Marc Whitten, Bloomberg reported. Whitten resigned from the self-driving car division of General Motors earlier this month. He will reportedly be able to hire 100 engineers for the effort this year.

Meta Plans Investments Into AI-Driven Humanoid Robots, Memo Shows

Meta Platforms is establishing a new division within its Reality Labs unit to develop AI-powered humanoid robots that can assist with physical tasks, according to an internal company memo viewed by Reuters on Friday. Facebook parent Meta is entering the competitive field of humanoid robotics, joining rivals such as Nvidia-backed Figure AI and Tesla, as the emergence of advanced AI models drives innovation in robotics and automation. In the memo, Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth said the robotics product group would focus on research and development involving "consumer humanoid robots with a goal of maximizing Llama's platform capabilities." Llama is the name of Meta's main series of AI foundation models, which power a growing suite of generative AI products on the company's social media platforms.

Meta Plans Major Investment Into AI-Powered Humanoid Robots

Meta Platforms Inc., after pushing into augmented reality and artificial intelligence, has identified its next big bet: AI-powered humanoid robots. The company is making a significant investment into the category -- futuristic robots that can act like humans and assist with physical tasks -- and is forming a new team within its Reality Labs hardware division to conduct the work, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Mark Zuckerberg Follows Elon Musk's Footsteps As Meta Reportedly Plans Major Investment Into AI-Powered Humanoid Robots - Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), General Motors (NYSE:GM)

Mark Zuckerberg could be following Elon Musk's footsteps, as Meta Platforms Inc. META is reportedly planning a significant investment into AI-powered humanoid robots. What Happened: Meta is forming a new team within its Reality Labs hardware division to spearhead this initiative, according to Bloomberg. The tech giant plans to develop its own humanoid robot hardware, initially focusing on household tasks. The broader aim is to create AI, sensors, and software for robots that other companies will manufacture and sell. Meta has started discussions with robotics firms like Unitree Robotics and Figure AI Inc. While the company does not plan to produce a Meta-branded robot initially, it may consider this in the future. The effort aligns with similar projects by other tech leaders, including Apple Inc. AAPL and Alphabet Inc.'s GOOG GOOGL Google. Marc Whitten, who recently resigned as CEO of General Motors Co. GM's Cruise division, will lead the new team, according to the report. Meta's chief technology officer, Andrew Bosworth, highlighted the company's existing advancements in AI and Reality Labs as complementary to this new venture. Meta's goal is to establish a foundation for the robotics market, akin to what Google's Android and Qualcomm's chips achieved for the smartphone industry. The company plans to invest $65 billion this year in related products, including AI infrastructure and the new robotics initiative. Why It Matters: The move by Meta into humanoid robots is part of a broader trend among tech giants exploring robotics. Apple is reportedly exploring both humanoid and non-humanoid robots for its smart home ecosystem. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is prioritizing sensing hardware and software for these potential products. Meanwhile, Musk-led Tesla Inc. TSLA has announced plans to produce thousands of its Optimus humanoid robots for use in Tesla factories. Musk anticipates that Optimus could generate revenue exceeding $10 trillion in the long term. The competition in the robotics field is intensifying, with companies like Apple ramping up hiring for their home robotics teams. This surge in interest underscores the potential impact of robotics on various industries, from household tasks to manufacturing. Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link. Read Next: While Elon Musk Has Been At The Center Of Trump's Presidency In The First Three Weeks, Data Shows His Rivals Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg And Others Benefited More Since The Inauguration: Here's More Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo courtesy: Shutterstock AAPLApple Inc$244.651.29%Overview Rating:Good75%Technicals Analysis1000100Financials Analysis600100WatchlistOverviewGMGeneral Motors Co$48.300.86%GOOGAlphabet Inc$186.97-0.49%GOOGLAlphabet Inc$185.24-0.48%METAMeta Platforms Inc$737.481.22%TSLATesla Inc$354.00-0.55%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs