Facebook parent Meta is entering the competitive field of humanoid robotics, joining rivals such as Nvidia-backed Figure AI and Tesla, as the emergence of advanced AI models drive

Tech press-landi and the tech blogosphere were abuzz last week with news that both Apple, the company that makes the iPhone, and Meta, the company that makes everybody on Facebook confront a daily flood of horrible AI-generated slop, are making full-size, humanoid robots.

Meta is expanding its AI research beyond chatbots to develop humanoid robotics, focusing on AI-driven software and sensors that could power future consumer robots.

According to sources quoted by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Meta does not intend to develop a branded robot like Tesla's Optimus. Instead, the company is looking at

Facebook’s parent company Meta Platforms has moved beyond trying to connect humans and is ready to focus on building robotic ones. According to a report from Bloomberg, Meta is planning to pour money into a new project to build AI-powered humanoid robots.

Meta is looking to be the go-to marketplace for robo-tech, with the company planning to develop its own humanoid robot hardware and later become a lead developer of the robots' AI-based backbone. The effort will be spearheaded by a new hardware division in Meta's Reality Labs (Quest VR and Ray-Ban smart glasses),

Humanoid robots have entered the Oprah phase: You build a humanoid robot! You build a humanoid robot! Everyone build a humanoid robot! According to a story by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who often gets leaks right, Meta is now planning a major investment into building humanoid robots.

Meta’s new robotics group, which will be led by Marc Whitten, driverless car startup Cruise’s former CEO, will also create robotic software and AI, according to Bloomberg’s reporting. Whitten has also had stints at Amazon, Microsoft, and Sonos, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Meta reportedly plans to develop software that can power robots built by other companies—like Android does for smartphones—rather than launching its own Meta-branded robot.

Meta is reportedly moving forward with AI-powered humanoid robots. They will be developed by the same division that is behind its AI and wearable efforts.

Meta is making a strategic shift towards software-driven robotics by forming a dedicated unit within its Reality Labs division. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the company is focusing on developing a foundational software platform—similar to an "Android for robots"—that hardware manufacturers can leverage.