Meta humanoid robots are moving from lab concept to boardroom priority after the company quietly snapped up robotics startup Assured Robot Intelligence (ARI) in a deal that underlines how seriously it now takes physical AI. The acquisition was completed on Friday, although Meta has not disclosed what it paid for the company.

Meta describes ARI as being "at the frontier of robotic intelligence," building AI models that help robots understand, predict and adapt to human behaviour in complex, changing environments. In plain terms, ARI's software is designed to let humanoid machines handle messy, real-world tasks rather than just perform rigid, pre-programmed motions.

Under the deal, ARI's team - including co-founders Lerrel Pinto and Xiaolong Wang - will join Meta's Superintelligence Labs research division and work closely with Meta Robotics Studio, a group formed last year to develop core technologies for humanoid robots. Pinto previously co-founded Fauna Robotics, which Amazon acquired in 2025 to boost its own robotics push, while Wang has a background at Nvidia and UC San Diego in learning-based robot control.

Meta is investing heavily in humanoid robots that can move like humans and take on physical tasks, from warehouse work to potentially household chores in the longer term. A company spokesperson said the ARI team will bring "deep expertise" in designing models and "frontier capabilities for robot control and self-learning" aimed at whole-body humanoid control.

Beyond the AI models, Meta's robotics division is working on both hardware and software, including sensors and control systems that could be used by other manufacturers. Executives see an opportunity to build a common foundation for the humanoid industry, in much the same way that Android and Qualcomm chips helped standardise the smartphone era.