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Following the departure of Milan Kovac, veteran AI software lead Ashok Elluswamy is reportedly taking the helm of Tesla's Optimus project. We look at the background of the man now tasked with realizing one of Elon Musk's most ambitious goals: deploying humanoid robots at scale.

Figure AI has released a 60-minute, uninterrupted video of its Figure 02 humanoid performing logistics work, calling it 'the most boring video we've ever posted.' The demonstration is meant to showcase endurance and the significant performance gains from their updated Helix AI, which now incorporates temporal memory and force feedback.

Following a viral new demo, Figure CEO Brett Adcock took the stage at Bloomberg Tech to detail the company's aggressive strategy. He emphasized the necessity of end-to-end AI for real-world tasks, confirmed a second logistics partner, and confidently outlined a path to manufacturing 100,000 robots within four years.

Bernt Børnich, CEO of 1X Technologies, discussed on the NVIDIA AI Podcast how their humanoid robot, NEO, is designed to learn and operate safely alongside humans, with a consumer launch planned for 2025 focusing on household chores and collaborative development with early adopters. This follows earlier announcements about home pilot programs and Børnich's broader vision for humanoid assistance.

Unitree Robotics is set to deploy Reborn's Roboverse infrastructure to significantly speed up AI development for its humanoid robots, fostering an open-source community to build more intelligent and adaptable machines.