Meta announced on May 1 that it has acquired Assured Robot Intelligence (ARI), a startup focused on developing humanoid robotics technology, for an undisclosed sum [1, 2]. The company designs AI and robotics systems that enable robots to understand, predict, and adapt to human behavior in complex environments, aiming to create general-purpose physical agents capable of performing tasks such as household chores [1, 2].
ARI co-founders Xiaolong Wang and Lerrel Pinto will join Meta's Superintelligence Labs to continue advancing their work within the larger organization [1, 2]. Pinto previously co-founded Fauna Robotics, which was acquired by Amazon [1, 2]. Wang said, "From the start, we knew achieving our goals meant training a truly general-purpose physical agent... now we believe the agent will be humanoid and that scaling will come from learning directly from human experience. Meta has access to the key components needed to make this vision possible" [2].
Meta researchers have pursued humanoid robotics for several years, with the goal of building AI-powered robots capable of dexterous physical tasks [1, 2]. In 2025, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth said, "Software is the bottleneck. The plan was to start with developing software that can power a dexterous hand and then building out the technology from there" [2]. Bosworth noted Meta’s aim to develop humanoid robotics software that other companies can license [2].
The acquisition aligns with broader industry trends as Tesla is also converting part of its Fremont factory to produce humanoid robots named Optimus [2].
Meta’s next steps include integrating ARI’s work into its robotics efforts focused on creating foundation models for humanoid robots that can perform a variety of physical tasks [1]. The company will focus on advancing software capabilities to enable dexterous manipulation and adaptable behavior in physical environments.
