OpenAI wants to control the body and mind.

The new division to create robots

The startup led by Sam Altman is known for building digital brains, its artificial intelligence models learned to converse, write, program, interpret and create images, in addition to solving increasingly complex problems, but now the company seems to have reached an inevitable conclusion, it is not enough to control intelligence. It is also necessary to control the body.

In May 2026, the CEO officially confirmed the creation of Open AI Robotics, a new division dedicated to the development of physical machines, the announcement marks a historic change in the company's trajectory. The origin of this change is in a concept that has been gaining strength within the industry. Artificial intelligence is not just understanding the world, it is acting in it. OpenIA believes that systems of the future will need to manipulate objects, build infrastructure, assist workers, and interact directly with the physical environment.

In other words, the next stage of the IT revolution no longer occurs within the screens, but in the real world, the vacancies opened by the company offer important clues about the size of this ambition. OpenAI is recruiting specialists in actuators, mechanical systems, physical data collection and advanced simulation, this means that the company does not only intend to install its models in robots manufactured by third parties. wants to participate in the complete construction of these machines, from the motors to the algorithms that control each movement.

This decision also helps explain one of the most talked about events in the sector in recent months, the breakdown of the partnership between OpenAI and Figure. For some time, both companies worked together on the development of intelligent humanoids, but as the race for robotics accelerated, the strategies began to diverge, while Figure was betting on a deep integration between hardware and software within the company itself, OpenAI perceived that depending on partners could limit its long-term vision, the solution was to create its own robotics division and assume control complete of the process.

And there is another even more interesting question. OpenAI continues to keep the format of its future machines a secret, we do not know if we will see a traditional humanoid, a platform on wheels or a completely different architecture from the one we know today, what is clear is that the company wants to create a direct bridge between intelligence and action. For its part, Figure, also from North America, has made significant progress with its humanoids.