Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, is making a major push into AI-powered humanoid robots, according to a recent Reuters report citing an internal company memo. The company is setting up a new division within its Reality Labs unit to develop robots capable of assisting with physical tasks.

US-based robotics firm Apptronik has secured $350 million in a recent funding round, spearheaded by B Capital and Capital Factory, with additional backing from Google’s parent company Alphabet. The funding will be used to scale production of the company’s humanoid robot, Apollo, which is designed to automate tasks in supply chains, such as moving packages in warehouses and manufacturing facilities.

California-based robotics company Figure AI has unveiled a plan to manufacture 100,000 humanoid robots over the next four years, utilising AI technology and partnerships with BMW, OpenAI, and Microsoft. In a recent LinkedIn post, Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock outlined the company’s strategy, saying that he plans on mass deploying robots capable of performing complex tasks in real-world environments.

With a recent funding of $675 million at a $2.6 billion valuation from key investors including Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, OpenAI, and Microsoft, a new player has emerged in the race for artificial intelligence (AI) dominance: the American tech startup Figure AI. Their core product, Figure 01, is advertised to be a general-purpose, autonomous, and commercially viable humanoid robot that can help with a variety of tasks from daily chores to industrial labour. 

"Yangyang," a humanoid robot with a variety of realistic expressions wows visitors at Beijing's Global Mobile Internet Conference.