Figure Ends Partnership with OpenAI Paving the Way for Independent Robotics AI

The Great AI Robotics Divorce: Figure's Daring Bid for Independence

In a move that has rattled the tech industry, Figure's CEO Brett Adcock announced the termination of their partnership with OpenAI, setting the stage for what could be the most significant shift in autonomous robotics history. The stakes couldn't be higher: Figure claims to have achieved a breakthrough in fully autonomous, end-to-end robot AI development—a revelation they promise to demonstrate within just 30 days. Could this be robotics' "iPhone moment," or are we witnessing another chapter of Silicon Valley's tendency for grandiose promises?

The $675 Million Dance: A Partnership's Rise and Fall

The story began with tremendous promise in February 2023, when Figure raised an eye-catching $675 million in Series B funding, achieving a $2.6 billion valuation. The investment round read like a who's who of tech giants: Microsoft, Intel, OpenAI Startup Fund, Amazon, and NVIDIA all placed their bets on Figure's vision. The partnership with OpenAI seemed particularly crucial, focusing on developing specialized AI models tailored for Figure's ambitious robotics platforms.

The collaboration quickly bore fruit. Figure 01, their initial prototype, captured imaginations by mastering the art of coffee-making, albeit with limitations. By August 2023, Figure 02 emerged, enhanced with OpenAI's advanced AI models, suggesting a partnership hitting its stride. Yet barely six months later, this promising alliance would crumble, leaving the industry buzzing with questions and speculation.

From Tethered Steps to Factory Floors: Figure's Technical Evolution

The technical progression from Figure 01 to Figure 02 tells a story of remarkable advancement. The initial model moved at a modest 17% of human speed, requiring tethered support for balance—like a cautious toddler learning to walk. Figure 02, however, emerged as a different beast entirely. Clad in sleek black exterior, the robot boasted 16 degrees of freedom in its hands and human-comparable strength. More impressively, it achieved a movement speed of 1.2 m/s (roughly 2.68 mph) and could operate for 20 continuous hours, proving its worth in demanding environments like BMW factories.

Beyond mere specifications, this evolution represented a fundamental shift in robotics capabilities, merging high-speed mechanics with sophisticated AI-driven functionalities. The robot's voice interaction capabilities further blurred the line between machine and human operator.

Behind Closed Doors: Anatomy of a Tech Breakup

The partnership's dissolution appears rooted in both companies' ambitious—and increasingly divergent—strategic visions. OpenAI, far from remaining content as an AI software provider, began rebuilding its internal robotics team, previously disbanded in 2020. The hiring of Caitlin Kalinowski, Meta's former hardware lead, signaled serious hardware ambitions, further evidenced by their trademark filings for "user-programmable humanoid robots" and ventures into AI chip development to reduce NVIDIA dependency.

Meanwhile, Figure charted an aggressive course of its own. The company claims to have cracked the code on end-to-end neural network implementation, boldly announcing plans to deliver 100,000 robots within four years. Their dual focus on commercial applications (exemplified by their BMW factory presence) and home markets highlighted a comprehensive market strategy.

The Integration Puzzle: Why Good Partners Sometimes Split

Integration challenges between OpenAI's broad AI expertise and Figure's specialized robotics applications emerged as a critical fault line. Figure's CEO pointed to difficulties in adapting OpenAI's expansive AI capabilities to the specific demands of robotics applications, arguing for the necessity of specialized, end-to-end AI models closely aligned with hardware functionality.

The split has ignited fierce debate about the future role of foundation models in robotics. Critics highlight Figure 01's limited generalization capabilities compared to systems like RT-1/2, which benefited from extensive dataset training. Some experts deemed Figure 02's enhancements "unremarkable" rather than revolutionary, raising questions about the true state of progress.

The Battle for AI Supremacy: A Shifting Landscape

OpenAI's business model has increasingly reflected a dual strategy of competing with and investing in partner companies. Their diversification into robotics hardware and AI chips suggests a broader strategic pivot aimed at reducing external dependencies. This expansion, coupled with fierce competition from Tesla and Chinese tech companies, points to a critical focus on embodied AI.

The termination has sparked industry-wide speculation. Some suggest OpenAI, not Figure, might have initiated the split. Others point to DeepSeek as a potential replacement partner for Figure. The heavy reliance on OpenAI's multimodal models has raised questions about Figure's capability to independently develop similarly robust AI systems.

The $38 Billion Question: What Comes Next?

Despite the breakup, Figure maintains an ambitious trajectory. Their promise of breakthrough demonstrations within 30 days and the goal of deploying 100,000 robots in four years signals unwavering confidence. With the humanoid robot market projected to reach $38 billion by 2035, the stakes are astronomical.

The split's implications stretch beyond these two companies. Other OpenAI robotics partners watch nervously, while the broader industry debates whether this move will catalyze innovation or expose fundamental challenges in current robotics development methodologies.

A New Chapter or a Cautionary Tale?

This high-stakes separation marks more than just another tech industry breakup—it's a decisive moment in the evolution of embodied AI and robotics innovation. As both companies forge ahead independently, fundamental questions loom: Will Figure's gamble on independence pay off with genuine technological breakthroughs? Can OpenAI successfully pivot from software to hardware? Will this split accelerate or hinder the progress toward truly autonomous robots?

The answers may reshape not just the future of robotics but our understanding of what's possible when artificial intelligence meets physical machinery. As the industry holds its breath for Figure's promised demonstration, one thing becomes clear: the race for autonomous robotics supremacy has entered uncharted territory, and the consequences will reverberate far beyond Silicon Valley.