OpenAI's hardware director, Caitlin Kalinowski, revealed on social media that the company is actively recruiting for its first hardware robotics positions, marking a notable expansion beyond its software roots.
Key Points:
- OpenAI aims to create "general-purpose" and "adaptive" robots capable of operating with human-like intelligence in dynamic environments, integrating their advanced AI models with physical systems.
- The team will integrate custom sensors and computational hardware, pushing towards AGI-level intelligence.
- The ultimate goal is full-scale production, with job listings hinting at ambitions for over a million units.
Really excited to be posting our FIRST Robotics hardware roles for @OpenAI, including two very senior tech lead engineering (IC) roles and a TPM Manager.
— Caitlin Kalinowski 🇺🇸 (@kalinowski007) January 10, 2025
The first role is for an **EE Sensing Engineer** to help us design the sensor suite for our robots.
The second role is for a…
After disbanding its robotics team in 2020 due to limited training data and shifting priorities, the company has quietly rebuilt its efforts. Over the past year, OpenAI has invested heavily in robotics startups like Figure and 1X Technologies while rebooting its internal team. These efforts reflect a growing focus on creating general-purpose robots—machines that can adapt to varied tasks instead of being restricted to factory floors.
Kalinowski’s post highlighted the integration of hardware and AI. OpenAI’s vision involves robots with capabilities powered by its advanced multimodal language models. These models, trained to process text, images, and audio, will enable robots to interpret their surroundings and communicate effectively with humans. Beyond software, OpenAI plans to develop custom sensors and computational components tailored for robotics.
One intriguing detail: job descriptions mention limbs, hinting at humanoid robots. While OpenAI has not confirmed such a focus, reports suggest that humanoid designs—with two arms and two legs—might be easier to adapt to human environments. OpenAI has also signaled plans for large-scale production, seeking engineers experienced in designing systems for millions of units.
Robotics is a hot market, with startups raising $6.4 billion in venture funding last year. Companies like Bear Robotics and Bright Machines have carved out niches, while humanoid-focused startups, including those backed by OpenAI, promise to bring robots into homes and workplaces. Despite this enthusiasm, the challenges are significant, from navigating unpredictable environments to ensuring safety and reliability.
Chris McKay
OpenAI’s ambitions extend beyond robotics. In addition to its partnership with Jony Ive on an AI-powered hardware device, the company is rumored to be developing custom chips to support its AI models. These moves reflect OpenAI’s broader strategy of creating a cohesive ecosystem, blending software, hardware, and services.
To learn more about the available positions, check the links below: