Bezos, Nvidia Join OpenAI in Funding Humanoid Robot Startup (msn.com) 11
OpenAI, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Jeff Bezos are all part of a pack of investors in a business "developing human-like robots," reports Bloomberg, "according to people with knowledge of the situation..."
At the startup — which is named "Figure" — engineers "are working on a robot that looks and moves like a human. The company has said it hopes its machine, called Figure 01, will be able to perform dangerous jobs that are unsuitable for people and that its technology will help alleviate labor shortages." Figure is raising about $675 million in a funding round that carries a pre-money valuation of roughly $2 billion, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private. Through his firm Explore Investments LLC, Bezos has committed $100 million. Microsoft is investing $95 million, while Nvidia and an Amazon.com Inc.-affiliated fund are each providing $50 million... Other technology companies are involved as well. Intel Corp.'s venture capital arm is pouring in $25 million, and LG Innotek is providing $8.5 million. Samsung's investment group, meanwhile, committed $5 million. Backers also include venture firms Parkway Venture Capital, which is investing $100 million, and Align Ventures, which is providing $90 million...
The AI robotics industry has been busy lately. Earlier this year, OpenAI-backed Norwegian robotics startup 1X Technologies AS raised $100 million. Vancouver-based Sanctuary AI is developing a humanoid robot called Phoenix. And Tesla Inc. is working on a robot called Optimus, with Elon Musk calling it one of his most important projects. Agility Robotics, which Amazon backed in 2022, has bots in testing at one of the retailer's warehouses. Bloomberg calls the investments in Figure "part of a scramble to find new applications for artificial intelligence."
At the startup — which is named "Figure" — engineers "are working on a robot that looks and moves like a human. The company has said it hopes its machine, called Figure 01, will be able to perform dangerous jobs that are unsuitable for people and that its technology will help alleviate labor shortages." Figure is raising about $675 million in a funding round that carries a pre-money valuation of roughly $2 billion, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private. Through his firm Explore Investments LLC, Bezos has committed $100 million. Microsoft is investing $95 million, while Nvidia and an Amazon.com Inc.-affiliated fund are each providing $50 million... Other technology companies are involved as well. Intel Corp.'s venture capital arm is pouring in $25 million, and LG Innotek is providing $8.5 million. Samsung's investment group, meanwhile, committed $5 million. Backers also include venture firms Parkway Venture Capital, which is investing $100 million, and Align Ventures, which is providing $90 million...
The AI robotics industry has been busy lately. Earlier this year, OpenAI-backed Norwegian robotics startup 1X Technologies AS raised $100 million. Vancouver-based Sanctuary AI is developing a humanoid robot called Phoenix. And Tesla Inc. is working on a robot called Optimus, with Elon Musk calling it one of his most important projects. Agility Robotics, which Amazon backed in 2022, has bots in testing at one of the retailer's warehouses. Bloomberg calls the investments in Figure "part of a scramble to find new applications for artificial intelligence."
So, SexBots (Score:1)
OpenAI, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Jeff Bezos are all part of a pack of investors in a business "developing human-like robots," reports Bloomberg, "according to people with knowledge of the situation..."
"Human-like robots", in other words, "robots we can fuck".
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
OpenAI, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Jeff Bezos are all part of a pack of investors in a business "developing human-like robots," reports Bloomberg, "according to people with knowledge of the situation..."
"Human-like robots", in other words, "robots we can fuck".
We're pretty close to that now. But it won't become realistic until the female robots learn to nag.
Labor Shortage? (Score:5, Informative)
There is no labor shortage. There is a government welfare abundance, and a shortage of companies paying decent wages.
Re: (Score:2)
I think it's still too early to dump much money into humanoid robots. The problem with human-like robots is that people will expect human-like abilities, even from something as bizarre as Handle, and we're still decades from that stage. They don't have the same expectations from dog-like robots, which is (part of) the reason why people find Spot so amazing.
Re: (Score:2)
Supply and demand of labor makes its equilibrium price higher than they would like. All we need to bring down wages is some more labor on the demand side of the equation.
Re: (Score:2)
All we need to bring down wages is some more labor on the demand side of the equation.
The General Public: All we need to bring down profits is a lack of funds.
At the end of the day, someone has to pay. The problem is we have too many people willing to constantly give money despite lack of a return, and too few people with most of the money unwilling to part with it.
Re: Labor Shortage? (Score:1)
Dangerous jobs, like packing and shipping stuff (Score:5, Insightful)
preferably without taking piss breaks, eating, sleeping or unionizing.
Reads like story line from Stephen King novel (Score:1)
This makes me thing of the distopian future story lines of Stephen King with Northern Posi-tronics yeah... dark distopian vibes