Meta to Develop AI-Powered Robots for Household Tasks

Meta is establishing a dedicated team within its Reality Labs hardware division to develop AI-powered humanoid robots tailored for household tasks, Bloomberg is reporting.

The company plans to create foundational AI systems, sensors, and software that can be integrated into robots produced and marketed by various companies.

Meta is currently in discussions with robotics firms such as Unitree Robotics and Figure AI Inc. While there are no immediate plans to launch a Meta-branded robot, the company remains open to this possibility in the future. The move aligns with exploratory projects by other tech giants, including Apple and Google, all vying for a foothold in the humanoid robotics sector.

The newly formed team will be led by Marc Whitten, who recently resigned as CEO of General Motors’s Cruise self-driving car division. Whitten brings a wealth of experience from his previous roles at Unity Software and Amazon. Under his leadership, the team plans to recruit approximately 100 engineers this year to advance the project.

Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s CTO, highlighted the synergy between the company’s existing technologies and the requirements of robotics. He emphasized Meta’s advancements in hand tracking, low-bandwidth computing, and always-on sensors as complementary to the development of humanoid robots.

The global humanoid robot market is experiencing rapid growth, with projections indicating a rise from USD 2.03 billion in 2024 to USD 13.25 billion by 2029.

A surge in humanoid robotics is driven by the increasing adoption of robots across various industries, including healthcare, retail, and manufacturing, where they offer automation and operational efficiencies.