OpenAI is building a humanoid robot. Asked on the Sources podcast whether the company will build one, CEO Sam Altman said: "We will," Engadget reported.
He told Fortune: "I think we'll have a cool demo in 2027 ... I don't think there will be robots walking the streets for a few years longer."
Why a human shape
Altman said the humanoid form makes sense because "the world is very much designed for people," from doors to keyboards and tools. "Matching that form factor seems good," he said.
But he called the body questions "less important than really figuring out ... the brain that makes the robot work."
What OpenAI is hiring for
OpenAI's robotics job listings cover motion control, state estimation, actuator control and whole-robot behavior, plus machine-learning infrastructure for physical AI, Engadget and Mint reported. Listings indicate it is working on custom electromechanical actuators, including motors, transmissions, sensing and thermal systems.
OpenAI hasn't disclosed what the 2027 demo will show or what the robot will look like.
What it means for Tesla
OpenAI joins the race Tesla is betting heavily on: Musk said Saturday that Optimus and Cybercab will be most of Tesla's value. Musk has said hands are the hardest part of Optimus. Track Tesla's progress on our Optimus tracker.