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Door staff@engadget.com (Husain Parvez) - 17 Oct 2026
Altman's focus on intelligence shouldn't be mistaken for OpenAI treating the hardware as an afterthought. The company's robotics job listings indicate it is working on custom electromechanical actuators that include motors, transmissions, sensing and thermal systems, while other positions cover manufacturing and the supply chain needed to eventually produce hardware at scale. That's quite a bit of work for the "less important" half of the robot.
OpenAI is also not entering uncharted territory. Tesla has been working on Optimus for years, and XPENG recently had its IRON humanoid autonomously walk off the production line after being assembled. Both are good reminders that even smart software has to coax a very complex set of motors and joints into action.
OpenAI's own plans seem to begin at a more down-to-earth level than placing a robotic roommate in every home. One of its robotics job postings states that the company's short-term objective is to create general-purpose robots that can help skilled workers build infrastructure, and its long-term goal is to develop a personal robot that can help with a much wider variety of tasks.
If you're already imagining a physical form of ChatGPT with knees doing the dishes, you may not need to remove your dishwasher just yet. OpenAI hasn't announced an actual robot yet, or a consumer price, subscription model, release date or robot-specific privacy framework. Those questions get a bit more real-world if a future OpenAI machine is equipped with cameras and microphones and allowed to roam around someone's house.
That said, OpenAI's careers page currently lists 27 robotics openings.
OpenAI is also not entering uncharted territory. Tesla has been working on Optimus for years, and XPENG recently had its IRON humanoid autonomously walk off the production line after being assembled. Both are good reminders that even smart software has to coax a very complex set of motors and joints into action.
OpenAI's own plans seem to begin at a more down-to-earth level than placing a robotic roommate in every home. One of its robotics job postings states that the company's short-term objective is to create general-purpose robots that can help skilled workers build infrastructure, and its long-term goal is to develop a personal robot that can help with a much wider variety of tasks.
If you're already imagining a physical form of ChatGPT with knees doing the dishes, you may not need to remove your dishwasher just yet. OpenAI hasn't announced an actual robot yet, or a consumer price, subscription model, release date or robot-specific privacy framework. Those questions get a bit more real-world if a future OpenAI machine is equipped with cameras and microphones and allowed to roam around someone's house.
That said, OpenAI's careers page currently lists 27 robotics openings.