Major tech companies and startups are pouring billions into developing AI-powered robots for manufacturing, logistics and household tasks, although progress has been slow as researchers found the language-related AI breakthroughs driving chatbot development have not necessarily helped with understanding of the physical world.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that the company’s humanoid robot “Optimus” could perform many daily tasks and will eventually be sold to customers.
On Thursday, Apptronik secured $350 million in funding backed by investors including Alphabet’s Google to scale the production of its AI-powered humanoid robots designed for tasks in warehouses and manufacturing plants.