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After AI tools, OpenAI now wants to make robots
01 Jun 2026

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is expanding its horizons beyond software and conversational AI into physical robotics.

CEO Sam Altman has announced a major recruitment drive for robotics engineers to build robots that can assist people in the real world.

The move comes as China and South Korea are leading the charge in humanoid robotics.

Forming a dedicated robotics team
Recruitment drive

The newly formed OpenAI Robotics team is on the lookout for engineers specializing in hardware, machine learning, systems, and operations.

The goal is to design, build, and manufacture robots that are "useful for society."

Altman believes AI should eventually be able to assist people in the physical world, not just on screens.

Evolving from world simulation research
Project evolution

Altman revealed that the robotics effort at OpenAI has evolved from its world simulation research program led by researcher Aditya Ramesh.

The initiative has now morphed into a dedicated robotics division focused on combining machine learning advances with purpose-built hardware.

The company is now looking for full-stack hardware engineers, machine learning specialists, systems engineers, and operations professionals.

A significant shift for OpenAI
Strategic shift

This announcement is significant as OpenAI has mostly focused on software-based AI systems so far.

Although the company has conducted robotics research in the past, products such as ChatGPT, GPT-4o and its reasoning models have mostly been digital.

The move to make robots would mark a major expansion into hardware and real-world automation for OpenAI.

The global robotics race
Market landscape

OpenAI's renewed interest in robotics comes as many Asian countries are rapidly adopting humanoid technology.

South Korea, in particular, has embraced humanoids as technological showcases and entertainment stars.

Meanwhile, China has emerged as a major player in the global robotics race with companies like Booster Robotics and Unitree showcasing increasingly capable machines at lower costs.