Humanoid robots powered by AI

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Figure AI, a startup working to build humanoid robots that can perform dangerous and undesirable jobs, just got a big vote of confidence from some of the largest names in artificial intelligence.

The company said Thursday that it raised $675 million at a $2.6 billion valuation from investors including Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, Microsoft and Amazon's $1 billion Industrial Innovation Fund.

Founded in 2022, Figure AI has developed a general-purpose robot, called Figure 01, that looks and moves like a human. The company sees its robots being put to use in manufacturing, shipping and logistics, warehousing, and retail, "where labor shortages are the most severe," though its machines aren't intended for military or defense applications.
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Meanwhile, Figure is part of a crowded field of companies vying to make humanoid robots a reality. Amazon-backed Agility Robotics plans to open a factory that can produce up to 10,000 of its bipedal Digit robots per year. Tesla is also trying to build a humanoid robot, called Optimus, while robotics company Boston Dynamics has developed several models. Norwegian humanoid robot startup 1X Technologies recently raised $100 million with backing from OpenAI.

The market is nascent. Analysts at Goldman Sachs expect the humanoid robot market to reach $38 billion by 2035, and project that more than 250,000 units could be shipped in 2030.
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Humanoid robot startup Figure AI valued at $2.6 billion as Bezos, OpenAI, Nvidia join funding

Founded in 2022, Figure AI has developed a general-purpose robot, called Figure 01, that looks and moves like a human.

www.cnbc.com

 

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Why Nvidia, Tesla, Amazon And More Are Betting Big On AI-Powered Humanoid Robots​

Jul 8, 2024 #CNBC

Humanoid robots are catching the attention, and billions of investment dollars, from big tech companies like Amazon, Google, Nvidia and Microsoft. Elon Musk is betting the future of Tesla on these machines, predicting its robot, Optimus, could propel it to a $25 trillion market cap. Powered by artificial intelligence, these bots have seen quantum leaps in what they’re capable of in just the past few years. CNBC’s Kate Rooney speaks with Agility Robotics, Apptronik, Sanctuary AI and others to explore the rise of these AI-driven humanoids, if they’re a cure-all for our global workforce problems, or if this is yet another tech bubble.


17:09

Chapters:
2:49 Ch 1 AI has changed the game
5:52 Ch 2 Getting to work
9:40 Ch 3 The labor shortage
11:50 Ch 4 Hurdles ahead
14:01 Ch 5 China’s robot dominance

 

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Agility Robotics’ humanoid robot reportedly raising $400M

Coinciding with $400 million funding rumors, Agility Robotics has announced a series of enhancements to its flagship humanoid robot, Digit.

www.freightwaves.com