Figure AI, a U.S.-based startup specialising in AI-powered humanoid robots, has parted ways with OpenAI just months after announcing a collaboration to develop its Figure 02 robot.
This move follows a claim by the company’s CEO, Brett Adcock, that Figure has achieved a significant breakthrough in robot intelligence, rendering the need for OpenAI's involvement unnecessary.
The decision to sever ties comes after Figure raised $675 million in a funding round that valued the company at $2.6 billion.
The funds were intended to accelerate the development of its humanoid robots, with OpenAI’s models initially planned to handle natural language capabilities for the robots.
However, in a tweet, Adcock revealed,
“Figure made a major breakthrough on fully end-to-end robot AI, built entirely in-house.”
This shift signals a strategic pivot for Figure, which had previously intended to rely on OpenAI’s language models.
In recent months, OpenAI itself has been focusing on expanding its robotics division, recruiting for new positions within this space.
The company recently filed a trademark application referring to “humanoid robots” alongside other advanced technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and wearables.
This move suggests that OpenAI is gearing up for a bigger push into robotics.
Despite the move, OpenAI continues to invest in other robotics ventures, including Norwegian startup 1X, and maintains its standing as a leader in AI.
Figure is not only confident in its in-house AI capabilities but has also secured partnerships that will propel its robots into commercial production.
The company has inked a deal with BMW Manufacturing to integrate humanoid robots into automotive production.
Additionally, a second major U.S. client has been added to the list, positioning Figure to ship robots at high volumes and drive down costs.
“We believe there is a path to 100,000 robots over the next four years,” Adcock posted on LinkedIn, highlighting the potential for rapid scaling.
The company’s focus is on real-time learning and adaptation through its proprietary data engine, which powers its robots’ “embodied artificial intelligence.”
This technology allows the robots to understand language prompts, make decisions, and perform actions by integrating language, vision, and action into their tasks.
Adcock has teased a major upcoming announcement, promising to unveil the results of Figure’s breakthrough within 30 days.
He boldly stated that it will be “something no one has ever seen on a humanoid.”
The company’s efforts to enhance robot performance and speed are aimed at tackling high-performance use cases at scale, positioning Figure to take on more complex tasks in the field of robotics.
The company's decision to go independent from OpenAI is seen by some industry experts as part of a wider trend, where AI companies, faced with rising competition from open-source models like DeepSeek R1, are seeking more autonomy in their AI development.
Figure, with its new AI model, seems determined to rely on its own technology rather than external providers.
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