710
19 days ago
Google takes control of ‘Android of robotics’ project in quest for physical AI
Summary
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Intrinsic is focused on making robots easier to program, teach, and operate.
Intrinsic is focused on making robots easier to program, teach, and operate.
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Google is folding Alphabet’s AI robotics “moonshot,” Intrinsic, into the company after five years as an independent unit. The move marks a strategic shift as Google doubles down on physical AI and pulls experimental projects closer to its core business.
Intrinsic “graduated” into an independent company inside Alphabet’s Other Bets division in 2021, a portfolio of high-risk, speculative ventures that also includes robotaxi firm Waymo and healthcare company Verily. It pitches itself as an Android-like layer for robotics, building software and tools that make it easier to create robot applications.
Details of the purchase are not clear but the companies said Intrinsic will remain a “distinct group within Google.” It will work closely with Google DeepMind and utilize Google’s Gemini AI models and cloud resources, they said. DeepMind absorbed Alphabet’s shuttered Everyday Robotics division in 2023 and last year launched two AI models to help robots perform physical tasks.
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Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
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Intrinsic is focused on making robots easier to program, teach, and operate.
Intrinsic is focused on making robots easier to program, teach, and operate.
Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
See All by Robert Hart
Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
See All by Robert Hart
Google is folding Alphabet’s AI robotics “moonshot,” Intrinsic, into the company after five years as an independent unit. The move marks a strategic shift as Google doubles down on physical AI and pulls experimental projects closer to its core business.
Intrinsic “graduated” into an independent company inside Alphabet’s Other Bets division in 2021, a portfolio of high-risk, speculative ventures that also includes robotaxi firm Waymo and healthcare company Verily. It pitches itself as an Android-like layer for robotics, building software and tools that make it easier to create robot applications.
Details of the purchase are not clear but the companies said Intrinsic will remain a “distinct group within Google.” It will work closely with Google DeepMind and utilize Google’s Gemini AI models and cloud resources, they said. DeepMind absorbed Alphabet’s shuttered Everyday Robotics division in 2023 and last year launched two AI models to help robots perform physical tasks.
Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
See All by Robert Hart
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A free daily digest of the news that matters most.
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AI Description
Google has acquired Intrinsic, a company focused on simplifying the programming, teaching, and operation of robots. This move is part of Google's broader strategy to advance physical AI through robotics.