Source-backed robotics briefing
Meta buys robotics startup to bolster its humanoid AI ambitions
Meta has acquired humanoid robotics startup Assured Robot Intelligence (ARI) for an undisclosed sum, adding its team to Meta's Superintelligence Labs.
ARI was building foundation models for humanoid robots to perform physical labor such as household chores. Co-founders Xiaolong Wang (former Nvidia researcher and UC San Diego professor) and Lerrel Pinto (former NYU professor and co-founder of Fauna Robotics, acquired by Amazon last month) will join Meta's AI unit.
Meta has been working on humanoid robotics for years, including a leaked memo outlining plans for AI models and hardware aimed at consumers. This acquisition directly adds whole-body humanoid control and self-learning capabilities to Meta's research division.
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Primary source: TechCrunch
Original report date: May 1, 2026
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