OpenAI targets 2027 demonstration for humanoid robot, CEO says
October 21, 2026 · 2 min read
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company aims to demonstrate a humanoid robot in 2027, though he clarified that this timeline does not represent a release schedule for robots ready to operate on the streets or be sold to consumers. Altman made the comments in an interview given in September, noting that widespread adoption of humanoid robots is still expected to take several more years. He added that the robot's appearance, price, and sales date have not yet been disclosed.
The robot's body and the software managing it are being developed as separate efforts, according to Altman. He emphasized that OpenAI is interested in systems capable of operating in the physical world, but the interview did not detail the motors, range of motion, or payload capacity that will be used. Without such technical specifications, direct performance comparisons with other robots are not possible.
OpenAI's robotics work predates its current humanoid body plan. The company previously shared a 2019 study in which a robotic arm solved a Rubik's cube using two neural networks designed to mimic a human arm. Researchers trained the networks entirely in simulation and aimed to transfer what they learned to a physical robot. That study used reinforcement learning and varied conditions such as cube size and finger friction to improve adaptability, though the company noted at the time that the method did not produce flawless results in every attempt. That earlier experiment is not a test of today's humanoid hardware or success rate.
The common thread between the two studies is software that enables interaction with physical objects. However, the experiment with a robotic arm does not imply that the new system will perform household tasks or factory duties. The specific capabilities the new robot will demonstrate remain unclear, so the 2027 target should not be interpreted as a promise of particular functionality.
Altman distinguished between a demonstration and general availability, marking the most concrete boundary of the timeline. A demo may show capability under controlled conditions, while sales and daily use require separate stages. OpenAI did not announce any regional access or market plans for Turkey in the interview. The company's next disclosure is expected to clarify what it intends to show in 2027 and the current stage of the project.