Podcast Episode
When data collection began in February 2025, the work focused on teaching the Franka robot to place a rubber duck in a cup. The tasks have since progressed to more sophisticated activities such as putting bread in a toaster and folding laundry.
Robotics experts have noted that OpenAI's GELLO strategy could offer advantages over companies using motion capture suits because it's cheaper and allows the robot to more easily learn how human movements translate to its own motions. Each controller physically maps directly to a robot arm, creating a more direct translation from human movement to robotic action.
The company has at least a dozen engineers on the robotics project and has ramped up pressure on data collection. In December, a project supervisor called for increased productivity, and expectations for data collection have nearly doubled in recent months.
The lab does have a humanoid robot on display that insiders described as iRobot like, but it's mostly collecting dust while the work focuses on teleoperated arms.
OpenAI has declined to comment on the robotics program. The renewed push into robotics comes as the company seeks US based suppliers for components including silicon, motors, packaging material, and cooling equipment, signalling broader ambitions in physical AI systems.
The question now is whether OpenAI's data driven approach, which revolutionised natural language processing, can achieve similar breakthroughs in the physical world of robotics.
OpenAI's Secret Robotics Lab: A Twenty Four Seven Data Collection Operation
January 22, 2026
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OpenAI has quietly established a robotics laboratory in San Francisco that employs around 100 data collectors working around the clock to train robotic systems on household tasks. The facility, which shares a building with the company's finance team, represents a renewed push into robotics after the AI company shuttered its previous robotics project in 2020.
Rapid Expansion and Second Location
The lab has more than quadrupled in size since launching in February 2025, growing from approximately 25 workers to 100. In December, OpenAI informed employees of plans to open a second laboratory in Richmond, California, with job postings already listing the East Bay city as a location for robotics operators starting in April 2026.The GELLO Approach
Rather than deploying full humanoid robots and motion capture suits favored by competitors like Tesla, OpenAI is taking a more methodical path. Workers at the San Francisco facility use 3D printed controllers called GELLOs to teleoperate two Franka robotic arms equipped with pincers. The lab runs three shifts operating dozens of workstations around the clock, with cameras recording both operators and robots as they perform increasingly complex tasks.When data collection began in February 2025, the work focused on teaching the Franka robot to place a rubber duck in a cup. The tasks have since progressed to more sophisticated activities such as putting bread in a toaster and folding laundry.
Robotics experts have noted that OpenAI's GELLO strategy could offer advantages over companies using motion capture suits because it's cheaper and allows the robot to more easily learn how human movements translate to its own motions. Each controller physically maps directly to a robot arm, creating a more direct translation from human movement to robotic action.
Academic Roots and Team Building
OpenAI's approach mirrors research published in 2023 by University of California, Berkeley scientists describing a low cost system for collecting robotics data using teleoperated arms. One of those Berkeley researchers joined OpenAI in August 2024 to work on building the robot brain, according to LinkedIn profiles.The company has at least a dozen engineers on the robotics project and has ramped up pressure on data collection. In December, a project supervisor called for increased productivity, and expectations for data collection have nearly doubled in recent months.
Industry Context and Previous Investments
OpenAI has previously invested in robotics startups including Figure, 1X, and Physical Intelligence. Its 2024 partnership with Figure ended in February 2025 when Figure CEO Brett Adcock announced the company was exiting the deal to pursue in house AI development.The lab does have a humanoid robot on display that insiders described as iRobot like, but it's mostly collecting dust while the work focuses on teleoperated arms.
The Scaling Hypothesis
The fundamental bet underlying OpenAI's robotics push is that collecting massive amounts of teleoperation data will translate into autonomous robot capabilities and produce a scaling effect similar to what happened with large language models like ChatGPT. However, AI and robotics experts have noted that this scaling effect for robotics hasn't been proven yet.OpenAI has declined to comment on the robotics program. The renewed push into robotics comes as the company seeks US based suppliers for components including silicon, motors, packaging material, and cooling equipment, signalling broader ambitions in physical AI systems.
The question now is whether OpenAI's data driven approach, which revolutionised natural language processing, can achieve similar breakthroughs in the physical world of robotics.
Published January 22, 2026 at 7:24pm