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OpenAI Expands Robotics Division to Build General Purpose Personal Robots

OpenAI is expanding its Robotics division, an evolution of its world simulation research program. Led by Aditya Ramesh, the team is moving beyond research to manufacture robots for the physical world. This initiative relies on co-design—developing hardware and software simultaneously—to solve complex tasks.
Division Lead
Aditya Ramesh
Short-term Focus
Infrastructure support
Long-term Focus
Personal robots
Location
San Francisco
Compensation Range
$266,000 - $399,000

This expansion follows a broader industry push toward physical AGI, recently highlighted by the NVIDIA Robotics Roadmap. While OpenAI has historically focused on digital reasoning, this move targets the physical AI gap. An in-house 3D printing lab in San Francisco will accelerate hardware iteration for various robotic form factors.

The project focuses on supporting infrastructure workers before transitioning to personal robots for the general public. As these systems automate labor, OpenAI is also funding research into new economic systems to manage societal shifts. The team is currently hiring for roles with compensation ranging up to $399,000.

View the full update on openai.com
Sam Altman
Sam Altman
@sama
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OpenAI Robotics is hiring, looking for exceptional full-stack hardware, ops, systems, and ML engineers to help us program and manufacture robots that are useful for society. AI should be able to help people in the physical world. In the short term, we are focused on robots to support skilled workers to build our future infrastructure; in the long term, we imagine everyone having a personal robot doing anything they need. Our world simulation research program, led by Aditya Ramesh (@model_mechanic), has evolved over the past year into OpenAI Robotics. Progress is rapid, and based on a foundation of co-design between robotics hardware and ML research. If you love working hands-on across the robotics stack and want to build the future, please consider joining us. Send an email with your background and evidence of exceptional accomplishment to: robotics-recruiting@openai.com

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Still wondering? A few quick answers below.

OpenAI Robotics is a division focused on unlocking general-purpose robotics by integrating high-level AI intelligence with physical hardware. The team evolved from OpenAI’s world simulation research program and aims to deploy AGI-level intelligence in dynamic, real-world settings to improve human lives through physical assistance and infrastructure support.

The OpenAI Robotics team is led by Aditya Ramesh. Under his leadership, the program has transitioned from a research-focused world simulation project into a dedicated robotics organization. The team now focuses on the co-design of robotics hardware and machine learning research to build useful physical systems.

In the short term, OpenAI is focused on developing robots that support skilled workers in building future infrastructure. Long-term, the company envisions a future where everyone has access to a personal robot capable of performing any task they need, moving AI from digital screens into the physical world.

OpenAI is hiring full-stack hardware, operations, systems, and machine learning engineers. Specific roles include 3D Printing Lab Technicians to manage in-house additive manufacturing labs in San Francisco. These positions offer compensation ranges between $266,000 and $399,000, along with equity, and require an in-person presence.

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