Highlights:

• OpenAI has set up a secret robotics lab in San Francisco focused on training robotic arms
  
• The company is collecting massive amounts of human-operated data for household tasks
  
• Full humanoid robots are not the priority yet, but groundwork is being laid
  

OpenAI is quietly advancing into robotics, signaling that the long-anticipated “humanoid robot moment” may be closer than expected. While robotics is not yet part of OpenAI’s core mission, the company has been building early-stage capabilities behind the scenes.

In February 2025, OpenAI established a robotics lab in San Francisco. The lab has since expanded to more than four times its original size and now runs 24 hours a day. Around 100 data collectors and at least a dozen robotics engineers remotely operate robotic arms to generate training data.

The main focus is on low-cost robotic arms, not full humanoid robots. Workers use a 3D-printed controller called GELLO, which directly maps human hand movements to robotic arms. These robots are being trained on everyday tasks such as placing bread into a toaster and folding clothes.

OpenAI’s strategy relies on collecting large volumes of human-generated data, similar to how early language models were trained. Experts say the biggest challenge in robotics is not algorithms, but high-quality data.

A second robotics lab is planned in California, showing OpenAI’s long-term interest. While full humanoid robots remain a future goal, OpenAI is steadily preparing the foundation to get there.

Read More:

• Tech War: Why China Has Blocked Nvidia H200 AI Chip Imports Despite US Approval ?
• OpenAI Wants a Cut of Your Profits: Inside Its New Royalty-Based Plan and Other Business Models
• Rent a Robot for Just $25 (₹2000) a Day: World’s First Robot Rental Platform, Raises Millions

(via)

The post OpenAI Is Training Robots in Secret, and It Starts With Toasters and Clothes appeared first on Gizmochina.