Figure AI, a Bay Area-based humanoid robotics company, has announced its decision to exit a deal with OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence research organization. The move comes as a surprise, given OpenAI's cultural significance and the potential profile boost that comes with partnering with the company. Figure AI's CEO and founder, Brett Adcock, cited a "major breakthrough" as the reason for the shift in focus, promising to deliver "something no one has ever seen on a humanoid" in the next 30 days.

The partnership between Figure AI and OpenAI was announced last year, with the goal of developing next-generation AI models for humanoid robots. At the same time, Figure AI raised $675 million in funding, valuing the company at $2.6 billion. Despite the significant investment, Adcock has decided to pivot towards in-house AI development, citing integration issues as the primary reason for the move.

According to Adcock, the issue lies in OpenAI's massive breadth and focus on generative AI, which doesn't align with Figure AI's specific needs in embodied AI. "We found that to solve embodied AI at scale in the real world, you have to vertically integrate robot AI," Adcock explained. "We can't outsource AI for the same reason we can't outsource our hardware." This approach is reminiscent of the Apple ecosystem's focus on proprietary software and hardware integration.

OpenAI has been a major backer of several humanoid robotics companies, including 1X, a Norwegian startup that has shifted its focus towards home use cases. Figure AI, on the other hand, is exploring the use of its systems in both industrial and home settings. The company has already partnered with BMW to deploy its robots in a South Carolina factory, and is likely to continue expanding its reach in the industrial sector.

In a interesting twist, OpenAI has recently filed a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) involving humanoids, referencing "user-programmable humanoid robots" and "humanoid robots having communication and learning functions for assisting and entertaining people." While this filing does not guarantee a future product, it suggests that OpenAI may be exploring its own humanoid hardware initiatives.

The decision to focus on in-house AI development is a significant one for Figure AI, which has raised a total of $1.5 billion in funding to date. The company has been rapidly expanding its hardware and software teams, recently moving into a larger Bay Area office to accommodate its growing staff. As the humanoid robotics industry continues to evolve, Figure AI's shift towards proprietary AI models may set a new precedent for companies in the space.

In the meantime, partnerships between humanoid robotics companies and AI research organizations remain prevalent. Boston Dynamics, for example, has been working with Toyota Research Institute (TRI) to bring artificial intelligence to the Atlas humanoid robot. As the industry continues to mature, it will be interesting to see how these partnerships evolve and whether Figure AI's decision to go it alone will pay off.

TechCrunch has reached out to OpenAI for comment on the matter, but has yet to receive a response.