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OpenAI is recruiting top robotics researchers, signaling its renewed focus on robots that can navigate the physical world. As reported by WIRED, "OpenAI appears to be ramping up its efforts in robotics, hiring researchers who work on humanoid systems as it explores new ways to advance artificial intelligence." More specifically, the AI giant's job listings now emphasize that they are looking for individuals who have skills in teleoperation and simulation, suggesting that OpenAI is combining virtual training with human-guided control. The combination is intended to train robots to "feel" for touch, motion and context.
OpenAI's renewed focus on robotics puts it in direct competition with companies like Tesla and Google, highlighting that relying solely on software and data may not be sufficient to achieve ambitious AI milestones. Building on that point, WIRED highlights postings that call for mechanical engineers with experience prototyping sensor-rich systems, "designing mechanical systems intended for high volume (1M+)" and "problem-solving on assembly lines." That hints at ambitions beyond one-off research platforms toward scalable embodiments.
This is not OpenAI's first foray into the world of robotics development. The company had some notable successes early in its life, such as training a robot hand to solve a Rubik's Cube back in 2019. However, it disbanded its robotics team in 2021 when progress had stalled due to a lack of training data. Now, following a several-year pause, the ongoing hiring spree signals a comeback for the ChatGPT makers. OpenAI is betting that embodied AI (integrating advanced algorithms with real-world robots) will drive the next leap toward artificial general intelligence (AGI) systems, which can learn and apply knowledge across many tasks at a level comparable to human abilities.
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