Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, recently confirmed in a podcast called "Sources" that the company is advancing robot development and exploring two technical routes: humanoid robots and specialized robots for data center scenarios.
Form Is Not Important, What Matters Is the "Robot Brain"
Altman said, "We definitely will develop humanoid robots." However, he also pointed out that not all robots need to have a human-like form. When a human shape does not bring practical benefits, OpenAI will develop non-anthropomorphic robots tailored for specific scenarios, including special-shaped robots adapted for data center environments. "The form of the robot is not the most important thing; what really matters is the robot brain."
He explained the rationale for humanoid design: human society itself is built around human characteristics. Daily activities such as opening doors, operating computers, driving equipment, and household cleaning are all adapted to the human body's physical form, making humanoid robots practically meaningful. Recently, OpenAI officially released GPT-6 Astra, called "the most intelligent and aligned model in the world today." This "super brain" is seen as a key foundation for robot deployment.
Robot Team Expansion, Hardware Actuators as a Priority
Although Altman repeatedly emphasized that the AI brain should come before the hardware body, OpenAI clearly does not want to be limited to software alone. As early as 2024, OpenAI models had already been integrated with Figure AI's Figure 01 robot. On May 31st this year, OpenAI Robotics, the robot division, was officially established, led by Aditya Ramesh, the head of Sora. Its foundation lies in the deep collaborative design of robot hardware research and machine learning research.
Job listings show that robot-related positions in the San Francisco area have increased from 11 at the time of the department's establishment to 19. Hardware actuators are the focus of hiring, covering actuator design, electromagnetic design, gear design, and testing infrastructure. One core position requires completing the end-to-end design process of custom electromechanical actuators, balancing torque density and mass production feasibility.
In terms of implementation timeline, Altman admitted that home robots are not an immediate priority, and infrastructure and manufacturing are the main focus. However, OpenAI has long-term confidence in the consumer market, saying, "One day, I think everyone should have a personal robot." Currently, OpenAI has not disclosed the shipping date or production targets for its robots.
