Boston Dynamics Humanoid Robot to Have Google DeepMind AI

Boston Dynamics, the global leader in mobile robotics, and Google DeepMind, the world's premiere AI lab, have formed a new AI partnership designed to bring a new era of artificial intelligence to humanoid robots. Announced at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, the two teams aim to integrate cutting edge Gemini Robotics AI foundation models with Boston Dynamics' new Atlas robots.

The strategic partnership will focus on enabling humanoids to complete a wide variety of industrial tasks and is expected to become a driving force of manufacturing transformation, beginning in the automotive industry. The joint research effort, expected to kick off in the coming months, will be conducted at both companies.

Partnership Combines Athletic Intelligence with Foundational AI

The robotics partnership aims to combine Boston Dynamics' athletic intelligence with Google DeepMind's foundational capabilities. Joint research utilizing Gemini Robotics foundation models and a new fleet of Atlas robots will begin this year.

Alberto Rodriguez, Director of Robot Behavior for Atlas at Boston Dynamics, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration: "We are building the world's most capable humanoid, and we knew we needed a partner that could help us establish new kinds of visual-language-action models for these complex robots. Nobody in the world is better suited than DeepMind to build reliable, scalable models that can be deployed safely and efficiently across a wide variety of tasks and industries."

Google DeepMind's Gemini Robotics Foundation Models

Long known for its robots' athleticism and impressive physical abilities, Boston Dynamics only announced its intention to build a commercial humanoid in 2024, after it became clear that recent AI advances had accelerated the pace of how robots could be trained and deployed into real-world applications.

Google DeepMind is one of the leading frontier labs and in recent years has been advancing its robot AI foundation models like Gemini Robotics, built on the large-scale, multi-modal Gemini model. These models are designed to allow robots of any shape and size to perceive, reason, use tools and interact with humans.

Carolina Parada, Senior Director of Robotics at Google DeepMind, commented: "We developed our Gemini Robotics models to bring AI into the physical world. We are excited to begin working with the Boston Dynamics team to explore what's possible with their new Atlas robot as we develop new models to expand the impact of robotics, and to scale robots safely and efficiently."

Hyundai Motor Group Connection

The two teams provided additional details about the partnership to reporters during Hyundai's scheduled CES media presentation. Hyundai Motor Group is the majority shareholder of Boston Dynamics, having acquired the robotics company to strengthen its position in future mobility and smart manufacturing.

Automotive Industry Focus

The partnership's initial focus on the automotive sector reflects the industry's accelerating push toward automation and smart manufacturing. With traditional automakers and electric vehicle manufacturers racing to increase production efficiency, humanoid robots equipped with advanced AI capabilities could transform assembly line operations.

The combination of Boston Dynamics' proven hardware capabilities with DeepMind's sophisticated AI models positions the partnership to address complex manufacturing tasks that have traditionally required human dexterity and decision-making.

Implications for the Humanoid Robot Market

The Boston Dynamics and Google DeepMind partnership represents a significant consolidation of expertise in the rapidly evolving humanoid robot market. Competitors including Tesla with its Optimus robot, Figure AI, and Agility Robotics are also advancing their humanoid platforms.

The integration of Gemini Robotics foundation models could give Atlas a significant advantage in terms of adaptability and learning capabilities, potentially allowing the robot to be deployed across diverse industrial applications with minimal task-specific programming.

CES 2026 Announcement

The announcement at CES 2026 in Las Vegas marks a strategic timing for both companies, capturing attention at the world's largest technology showcase. The Consumer Electronics Show has increasingly become a platform for robotics and AI companies to debut major partnerships and product announcements.

Further details about the partnership timeline, specific automotive industry deployments, and commercial availability of the AI-enhanced Atlas robots are expected to be announced throughout 2026.