OpenAI disbanded its standalone robotics team for the second time in six years. The company moved researchers into its main research and applied divisions to focus on general-purpose robots. A spokesperson said, "OpenAI remains committed to accelerating progress toward general-purpose robots." This shift follows similar changes made back in 2020.
OpenAI has disbanded its standalone robotics team for the second time in six years. The company has integrated the group into its broader research and applied organizations. The restructuring move is similar to its decision to wind down its original robotics division in 2020. However, OpenAI insists that this latest reorganization isn't a retreat from robotics but rather a step toward bringing general-purpose robots into reality.
Under the new structure, OpenAI's robotics researchers have been moved to the main research division led by Chief Research Officer Mark Chen.
Meanwhile, applied robotics and hardware teams will operate under the broader Applied division of the company, headed by President Greg Brockman.
This reorganization is part of a larger trend in which OpenAI believes that advanced general-purpose AI models can take on robotics tasks without needing specialized robotics-focused AI systems.
OpenAI had a robotics team in its early days but disbanded it in 2020 due to limited robot data and a more efficient path to artificial general intelligence through other means.
The company rebuilt a standalone team in 2024 and partnered with Figure to develop AI models for humanoid robots.
However, the partnership ended in February 2025 when Figure decided to create its own robot AI.
OpenAI is currently working on its own humanoid robot, with CEO Sam Altman aiming for a public demonstration in 2027.
Despite the organizational changes, a company spokesperson told Fortune that OpenAI remains committed to accelerating progress toward general-purpose robots.
The decision to move robotics researchers onto teams developing more general AI models was motivated by the discovery that OpenAI's latest frontier models have demonstrated capabilities that can be applied directly to robots.
OpenAI is also under pressure to cut costs and focus on a few core products.
The company is dealing with heavy operating losses, reportedly amounting to $10.9 billion in the latest quarter.
Despite these challenges, OpenAI hopes that moving robotics researchers into other teams will accelerate progress toward its long-term goal of creating general-purpose robots, even as it discontinues another standalone robotics operation for now.