Meta acquires humanoid robotics startup ARI for AI ambitions

Meta has purchased Assured Robot Intelligence (ARI), a startup focused on humanoid robotics, though the financial details remain undisclosed. The co-founders, Xiaolong Wang and Lerrel Pinto, along with their team, will integrate into Meta's Superintelligence Labs research group. ARI was developing foundational models aimed at enabling humanoid robots to handle tasks such as household chores. Wang has a background as a researcher at Nvidia and served as an associate professor at UC San Diego, while Pinto previously co-founded Fauna Robotics, which was acquired by Amazon last month. This acquisition aligns with Meta's long-term goals in humanoid robotics, as indicated by a leaked memo from a year ago. Industry projections range significantly, with Goldman Sachs estimating $38 billion by 2035 and Morgan Stanley predicting $5 trillion by 2050.