The Internet can't stop watching Figure AI's humanoid robots handling packages

The Figure event may appear especially compelling because it’s relatively rare for companies to present livestreamed endurance runs featuring humanoid robots. Such livestreams can convey seemingly greater transparency than short videos by allowing viewers to see robotic flaws and fumbles in real time. That may encourage viewers’ belief in the robots’ demonstrated capabilities, which in this case is limited to the Figure 03 robot’s ability to handle packages in one specific warehouse-style setup. Even taking this particular demonstration at face value, what does this mean for Figure AI’s broader vision? The company is one among many betting on AI-powered humanoid robots becoming general-purpose workers capable of performing various tasks normally done by humans. To gain widespread adoption, humanoid robots will need to prove as capable and cost-effective as either human workers or industrial robots, with more specialized forms suited for specific tasks. VIDEO This demonstration, focused on a repetitive task, does not show off such general-purpose capability involving a more diverse array of tasks or environments—something that Figure has only hinted at in short video demonstrations so far. Still, the company has already raised nearly $2 billion from Silicon Valley investors and companies , including Microsoft, Nvidia, Intel, Amazon, and OpenAI. …