OpenAI has folded its standalone robotics team into its main research and applied groups. It is the company’s second such reorganisation since 2020, though OpenAI said the move is not a retreat from robotics.

Robotics researchers moved into chief research officer Mark Chen’s organization. Applied robotics and hardware teams now sit under president Greg Brockman’s Applied division.

OpenAI rebuilt the robotics unit in 2024. Its partnership with Figure, a US robotics startup building humanoid robots, ended in February 2025, when Figure said it would develop its own robot AI.

OpenAI believes broader AI models can handle more robotics work. Some researchers disagree, saying smaller, specialised models are still needed to run locally on robots. Google DeepMind offers robotics models and on-device versions.

OpenAI also faces cost pressure and fundraising plans. Its CFO discussed a possible initial public offering in 2027 or sooner.

🔗 Source: The Times of India