Meta has just confirmed that it has acquired robotics startup Assured Robot Intelligence (ARI) in an undisclosed deal.
This move is seen as the latest step to strengthen the ambition to develop humanoid robots and move closer to general artificial intelligence (AGI).
According to Meta representatives, ARI is a pioneer in the field of robotic intelligence, with technology that helps machines understand, predict and adapt to human behavior in complex environments.
After the merger, the entire ARI team, including the founders, will join Meta's AI research division Superintelligence Labs.
ARI is known for its orientation to build platform models for humanoid robots, allowing them to perform many manual tasks such as cleaning and supporting daily life.
This is a direction that is considered to have great potential in bringing AI out of the digital environment, into the physical world.
Behind ARI are two reputable scientists. Xiaolong Wang was a researcher at Nvidia and is currently an associate professor at the University of California San Diego.
Meanwhile, Lerrel Pinto used to teach at New York University and co-founded Fauna Robotics, a small humanoid robot startup that was recently acquired by Amazon.
Meta said that this research group will bring in in-depth expertise in developing AI models capable of self-learning and controlling the entire robot body.
This is a key factor in building robot systems that can operate flexibly in the real environment, instead of just performing pre-programmed tasks.
In fact, Meta has pursued human-shaped robot technology for many years. An internal memo leaked earlier revealed plans to develop both AI hardware and software for consumer-oriented robots. However, the company has not yet announced a specific product roadmap.
Experts believe that even if Meta has not launched commercial robots, investing in this field still has strategic significance.
Many researchers believe that to achieve general artificial intelligence, AI models need to be trained in a physical environment where robots can learn through direct interaction with the world, instead of just relying on digital data.
Meta's acquisition of ARI, along with Amazon's acquisition of Fauna Robotics, reflects the increasing competition in the robotics industry.
Despite its huge potential, the market size is still controversial. Goldman Sachs (one of the world's largest investment banks and multinational financial groups) forecasts that the robotics industry could reach 38 billion USD by 2035, while the world's leading multinational financial service and investment banking group of the US - Morgan Stanley gives a figure of up to 5,000 billion USD by 2050.
This difference shows that humanoid robots are still a field in the shaping stage.
However, with the strong participation of technology giants, the race to develop smart robots is likely to accelerate in the coming years.
