Figure, a developer of autonomous humanoid robots, has signed a major deal with BMW to bring its robots to the automaker’s U.S. factories.
Under the trade agreement, Figures released on Thursday First, we identify potential applications for robots on the automotive assembly line of a German multinational company. After that, robots are expected to take over dangerous, tedious and repetitive tasks from human workers at the Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant in a phased implementation phase.
The California artificial intelligence (AI) company has been developing autonomous general-purpose humanoid robots since 2022 and raised $70 million in Series A funding last year. According to the companies, the goal of the new partnership is to improve productivity and safety by allowing BMW employees to focus on higher-value tasks that require human skills and supervision. That’s what it means.
“The potential for general-purpose robots is completely untapped,” said Brett Adcock, CEO of Figure. “Our robots enable companies like BMW to increase productivity, reduce costs, and create safer, more consistent environments.”
In addition to deploying robots, BMW and Figure will also collaborate on exploring advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual manufacturing, and robot integration.
“The automotive industry is rapidly evolving, and BMW aims to be an innovator,” said Dr. Robert Engelhorn, President and CEO of BMW Manufacturing. “The use of robotics solutions has the potential to improve efficiency and support future transformation.”
We are excited to announce that Figure has signed a commercial agreement with BMW 🤝
We will introduce our general-purpose robots into the automobile manufacturing environment.
See below for details: pic.twitter.com/LPisMeZZbi
— Figure (@Figure_robot) January 18, 2024
What does Mr. Figure’s deal with BMW mean for jobs?
That all sounds great on paper, but what does this mean for human jobs? BMW’s massive factory in Spartanburg employs 11,000 people. Approximately $27 billion for the state every year.
Figure says its humanoid robots are designed to handle “undesirable or unsafe tasks” and support supply chains and manufacturing on a global scale. Robots may be used to supplement the work of existing workers or to adopt entirely new production methods.
It is not yet clear how this introduction will affect workers.
Earlier this month, Leadlight announced that it was “augmenting human capabilities with advanced AI” by demonstrating how its artificial intelligence (AI) performs simple human tasks such as making coffee. The company reported significant progress in achieving its mission.
We still have a long way to go before robot workers are used on a large scale. Although this is only the early stages of this technology, the partnership with BMW is an important step and one worth noting.
BMW has been contacted for comment.
Featured image: Figure AI
