WORLDTECHOpenAI is building a humanoid robot, and its AI brain is the harder problem
OpenAI is reportedly developing a humanoid robot, according to Engadget's account of a podcast interview with CEO Sam Altman. Altman argues that the harder task is building the software that lets such a machine decide what to do.
Why a human-shaped body makes sense
Altman told the Sources podcast that the human form is logical because the world is built for people. Doors, keyboards and tools are all designed around a certain body, so a robot meant to move through the same spaces would likely need a similar form.
He said matching that form seemed sensible, but added that details of the physical design matter less to him than the control system that drives it.
The software challenge behind the hardware
Engadget reports that Altman described the robot's brain as the critical piece. A capable humanoid would have to interpret what its cameras and sensors detect, understand an instruction, plan how to carry it out, coordinate its body and correct itself when reality deviates from the plan.
The report uses the example of lifting a mug: the machine must recognise the object, locate the handle, judge the grip and apply the right force, or the task fails.
Hiring points to a long road
According to the report, OpenAI is already recruiting for robotics positions covering motion control, state estimation, actuator control and whole-robot behaviour, as well as the machine-learning infrastructure needed to train physical AI systems.
The report notes that OpenAI has not said what its robot will look like, what it will demonstrate, or when people outside the company might see one, so the project remains some distance from a product.
Open questions
- When will OpenAI show its humanoid robot, and what will the demonstration include?
- How capable will the robot's control software be when the hardware is ready?