Google takes control of ‘Android of robotics’ project in quest for physical AI

Google is folding Alphabet’s AI robotics “moonshot,” Intrinsic, into the company after five years as an independent unit. The move marks a strategic shift as Google doubles down on physical AI and pulls experimental projects closer to its core business.

Intrinsic “graduated” into an independent company inside Alphabet’s Other Bets division in 2021, a portfolio of high-risk, speculative ventures that also includes robotaxi firm Waymo and healthcare company Verily. It pitches itself as an Android-like layer for robotics, building software and tools that make it easier to create robot applications.

Details of the purchase are not clear but the companies said Intrinsic will remain a “distinct group within Google.” It will work closely with Google DeepMind and utilize Google’s Gemini AI models and cloud resources, they said. DeepMind absorbed Alphabet’s shuttered Everyday Robotics division in 2023 and last year launched two AI models to help robots perform physical tasks.