Sam Altman's OpenAI just made robotics its next frontier and it's hiring to prove it — TFN

OpenAI is actively hiring robotics engineers as it revives its robotics ambitions, with an initial focus on robots that can help build data centres, power grids, and other critical infrastructure.

The move marks OpenAI’s strongest robotics push since shutting down its robotics team in 2021. Since then, it has backed robotics startups including 1X Technologies and Figure AI.

Long term, Sam Altman envisions a future where everyone has a personal robot, but the renewed robotics effort also raises fresh questions around safety, autonomy, and real-world AI deployment.

Sam Altman spent years making AI useful for people who sit at desks. Now he wants to make it useful for people who build things.

On May 31, Altman posted on X that OpenAI Robotics is actively hiring, seeking “exceptional full-stack hardware, ops, systems, and ML engineers to help us program and manufacture robots that are useful for society.” Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s co-founder and president, followed up to confirm the division is “making rapid progress towards building AI that can help people in the physical world.”