Source: Business Insider
Published: March 31, 2026
Figure AI and OpenAI were once partners. Now, according to Business Insider, Figure CEO Brett Adcock says the companies are moving toward competition in humanoid robotics.
Business Insider reports that OpenAI co-led Figure’s Series B in 2024 and that the two companies entered a collaboration agreement to develop next-generation AI models for Figure’s robots. Less than a year later, Adcock said Figure decided to build its AI in-house.
For Humanoid Home News readers, the important issue is not just the business split. It is what the split says about control of embodied AI. A home humanoid will need more than a mechanical body. It will need robot learning, perception, manipulation and task execution that work reliably in messy real-world environments.
Business Insider also reports that OpenAI has developed a robotics lab with about 100 data collectors teaching a robotic arm to perform household tasks. That makes the Figure-OpenAI split especially relevant for the home-robot market. The companies are not only competing over software. They may be competing over the intelligence layer that could eventually make household humanoids useful.
HHN Takeaway: The Figure-OpenAI split matters because it shows how quickly humanoid partnerships can turn into direct competition. For future home robots, the key question may be who controls the embodied AI that lets a robot learn, adapt and perform useful tasks inside the home.
