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Meta plans investments into AI-driven humanoid robots

Also: Elon Musk says xAI’s Grok 3 chatbot to be unveiled on Monday

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AI KATANA
February 16, 2025

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The AI landscape continues to evolve rapidly, with major tech firms pushing deeper into robotics, automation, and AI-driven services. Meta is making a significant leap into humanoid robotics, creating a dedicated division within Reality Labs to develop consumer-focused robots powered by its Llama AI models. Meanwhile, a new discussion emerges around the balance between what AI can do and what it should do in the workplace, highlighting key factors like complexity, frequency, and failure costs. In the UK, Anthropic has signed an MOU with the government to explore AI’s potential in public services, aiming to enhance efficiency and security. Elon Musk is set to unveil xAI’s Grok 3 chatbot, positioning it as a competitor to ChatGPT. Meanwhile, AI-powered agents that can navigate computers like humans raise both excitement and security concerns. In AI tools, Adobe’s Firefly Video enters beta, promising a commercially safe text-to-video generator. On the venture capital front, robotics startup Figure AI is in talks for a massive funding round that could push its valuation to nearly $40 billion, reflecting growing investor confidence in AI-driven automation.

Sliced just for you:

  • 🤖 Meta plans investments into AI-driven humanoid robots

  • 💼 The jobs AI can do — and those it shouldn’t

  • 🇬🇧 Anthropic signs MOU with UK Government to explore AI in public services

  • 🗣️ Elon Musk says xAI’s Grok 3 chatbot to be unveiled on Monday

  • 💻 Are You Ready to Let an AI Agent Use Your Computer?

Meta is making a bold move into AI-driven humanoid robotics with the creation of a dedicated division within its Reality Labs unit. This initiative, spearheaded by Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth, aims to develop consumer-focused humanoid robots powered by Meta’s Llama AI models, enhancing capabilities in mixed and augmented reality. The effort will be led by Marc Whitten, formerly of Cruise, and supported by retail veteran John Koryl to expand Meta’s hardware sales strategy. The company plans to develop its own robotics hardware, initially targeting household tasks, while also working on AI, sensors, and software for broader industry use. This venture aligns Meta with competitors like Tesla and Nvidia-backed Figure AI, as major tech firms increasingly invest in robotics. Despite past financial losses in Reality Labs, Meta is betting on long-term gains in AI-driven automation and embodied AI, aiming to create intelligent assistants capable of navigating and interacting with the physical world.

AI is reshaping the workplace, but its impact depends on more than just technical feasibility. Instead of focusing solely on what AI can do, organizations must consider what it should do. Automation decisions should be guided by four key questions: How complex is the task? Highly complex tasks, like emergency dispatching, are harder to automate than routine customer service interactions. How frequent is the task? Repetitive, high-volume tasks are more economically viable for AI. How interconnected are the tasks? Fragmentation costs arise when tasks are split inefficiently between humans and AI, potentially causing inefficiencies. What is the cost of failure? Mistakes in critical roles, such as emergency response, carry much higher consequences than in areas like software coding. AI is advancing in its ability to handle complex, high-speed operations, but uncertainty in output remains a challenge. As AI adoption accelerates, companies must balance cost savings with hidden risks, ensuring automation enhances efficiency without compromising essential human oversight.

Anthropic has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to explore AI’s role in enhancing public services. The collaboration will focus on deploying Anthropic’s AI model, Claude, to improve how UK citizens access government information and services while establishing best practices for responsible AI use in the public sector. The partnership also aims to support AI-driven scientific research, secure AI supply chains, and boost innovation within the UK’s startup ecosystem. Additionally, Anthropic’s Economic Index will provide insights into AI’s impact on labor markets and economic trends to help shape workforce strategies. The initiative aligns with global efforts to integrate AI into governance, with previous implementations including Claude-powered chatbots for public health in Washington, DC, AI-driven document accessibility in Swindon, and enhanced intelligence analysis for US government agencies. Anthropic will continue working with the UK AI Security Institute to assess AI capabilities and mitigate security risks, ensuring AI’s responsible deployment in public administration.

Elon Musk has announced that xAI’s latest chatbot, Grok 3, will be unveiled with a live demo on Monday at 8 p.m. Pacific Time. Musk previously indicated that Grok 3 was in its final stages of development and expected to launch within weeks. Positioned as a competitor to ChatGPT, Grok 3 is expected to showcase advancements in AI chatbot capabilities. This release marks xAI’s latest move in the AI space as it seeks to establish itself among industry leaders in conversational AI.

AI-powered computer-use agents are emerging as the next frontier in automation, with companies like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic racing to develop tools that can navigate digital interfaces much like humans. OpenAI’s Operator, Google’s Project Mariner, and Anthropic’s Claude are pioneering this shift, performing tasks such as booking reservations, filling out forms, and making online purchases. These systems, currently in limited testing, use chain-of-thought reasoning to break down tasks and request user input when necessary. However, concerns around security, including potential misuse through prompt injection attacks, highlight the risks of granting AI control over personal computing environments. While these agents are not yet widely available, industry experts predict that they will soon be integrated into everyday workflows, potentially transforming how users interact with their devices.

🛠️ AI tools updates

Adobe has launched the beta version of Firefly Video, a generative AI tool that enables users to create short, high-resolution videos from text and image inputs. Unlike some competing AI video models, Firefly Video is designed with a “clean” dataset, trained on Adobe-owned assets to ensure commercial safety and avoid copyright infringement issues. While not the first text-to-video generator, its integration with Adobe’s Creative Cloud ecosystem, particularly Premiere Pro, makes it an attractive option for professional creators. The tool currently supports basic filmmaking features like camera movements and aspect ratios and offers plans ranging from Firefly Standard to Firefly Pro for users requiring different levels of video generation capabilities. Future updates are expected to enhance resolution and expand features, positioning Firefly Video as a key player in the AI-powered content creation landscape.

💵 Venture Capital updates

Robotics startup Figure AI is in discussions to secure $1.5 billion in funding, which would push its valuation to a staggering $39.5 billion. The deal is expected to be led by Align Ventures and Parkway Venture Capital, though terms remain subject to change. This comes after a previous funding round in which Figure AI raised $675 million from major investors, including Nvidia, Microsoft, and Jeff Bezos, valuing the company at $2.6 billion. The surge in funding reflects growing interest in AI-powered humanoid robots, with tech giants like Meta, Tesla, and Nvidia also investing heavily in the space. Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot, expected to be commercially ready by 2025, and Meta’s new AI-driven robotics division signal a race to develop autonomous machines capable of assisting in real-world tasks. The rising investments underscore a broader industry push toward AI-driven automation, positioning humanoid robots as a key frontier in the next wave of technological innovation.

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