Sam Altman confirms OpenAI will build a humanoid robot; demo possible in 2027

Sam Altman confirmed OpenAI will build a humanoid robot. Asked whether they would really do it, his answer, per Engadget, was very short: "We will." He told Fortune he thinks they'll have a cool demo in 2027 and doesn't expect robots walking the streets until a few years after that.

His argument: the hard part is not the body but the "brain" that makes the robot work. On the Sources podcast, he explained the world is designed for people (doors, tools), so if you want a robot to move through it, it makes sense to build it to look like us. Engadget sums it up: giving a machine two arms and two legs doesn't get you far if it doesn't know what to do with them.

What is known and what isn't: per Engadget, OpenAI hasn't said what the demo will show, what the humanoid will look like or when anyone outside the company could get close to one. Engadget also notes that its robotics job listings include custom electromechanical actuators (motors, transmissions, sensing and thermal systems) and manufacturing and supply-chain roles for producing hardware at scale. Engadget adds that Tesla and XPENG are already working on humanoids. TBreak reports there is no announced release date or price.

For your work: nothing changes today in your tools for creating or selling. It's one to keep on the radar: it is still a project far from becoming a product.

Sources

• Engadget: OpenAI is building a humanoid robot
• TBreak: OpenAI Humanoid Robot, Altman Eyes 2027 Demo