Makers of the robot dog investing $400m in AI

Remember that robot dog that took the internet by storm a while ago? Of course you do. Hyundai was so impressed it bought 80 per cent of the company behind it late in 2020.

Now though the two firms have been asking ‘what’s next?’ And apparently the answer is to invest $400m in the creation of the Boston Dynamics AI Institute to take the tech to the next level.

Led by Boston Dynamics founder Marc Raibert, the new institute will set out to push the envelope in cognitive AI, athletic AI and organic hardware design, as well as dig deeper into ethics and policy.

Hard to know what that means in reality, but we’re going to go ahead and assume that every home in the land will be getting its very own ultra-intelligent, robotic canine Good Boy by the end of the decade.

“Our mission is to create future generations of advanced robots and intelligent machines that are smarter, more agile, perceptive and safer than anything that exists today,” explained Raibert. “The unique structure of the Institute — top talent focused on fundamental solutions with sustained funding and excellent technical support — will help us create robots that are easier to use, more productive, able to perform a wider variety of tasks, and that are safer working with people.”

Just imagine: you’ll never need to retrieve your own newspaper and slippers ever again, or go out walking with a pocket full of old sandwich bags.

Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the new AI Institute (they might come up with a catchier name at a later date, apparently) will develop tech with its own staff, as well as partner with universities and labs.

Hands up, who else wants an animatronic Fido for companionship?