OpenAI hires Meta’s former Orion head to govern its robotics efforts

The previous head of Meta’s Orion augmented fact glasses initiative has joined OpenAI to govern the startup’s robotics and shopper {hardware} efforts.

Caitlin “CK” Kalinowski introduced her untouched function Monday in a publish on LinkedIn and X, writing, “In my new role, I will initially focus on OpenAI’s robotics work and partnerships to help bring AI into the physical world and unlock its benefits for humanity.”

OpenAI has won recognition for its viral chatbot, ChatGPT, however the hiring underscores its obvious efforts to exit into construction and promoting {hardware}. Former Apple exec Jony Ive, who helped design a few of Apple’s maximum iconic merchandise from the iMac to the iPhone, has additionally partnered with OpenAI to assemble an AI instrument.

The announcement got here the similar while as that of OpenAI’s funding into Bodily Knowledge, a robotic startup primarily based in San Francisco, which raised $400 million at a $2.4 billion post-money valuation. Alternative buyers integrated Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Thrive Capital, Lux Capital and Bond Capital.

The startup specializes in “bringing general-purpose AI into the physical world,” in keeping with its web page, and it targets to try this by means of growing large-scale synthetic knowledge fashions and algorithms to energy robots. 

Ahead of the untouched function at OpenAI, Kalinowski used to be a {hardware} govt at Meta for almost two and a part years important the corporate’s founding of Orion, prior to now codenamed Venture Nazare, which it billed as “the most advanced pair of AR glasses ever made.” Meta unveiled its prototype glasses in September.

Ahead of important the Orion undertaking, Kalinowski labored for greater than 9 years on digital fact headsets at Meta-owned Oculus, and earlier than that, just about six years at Apple serving to to design MacBooks, together with Professional and Breeze fashions.

Kalinowski’s first while at the task at OpenAI is Tuesday, Nov. 5, in keeping with a LinkedIn publish.