Google Absorbs Intrinsic to Accelerate Physical AI and Industrial Robotics Deployment

Alphabet has officially transitioned Intrinsic from its Other Bets portfolio into Google to form a distinct group focused on industrial automation. This strategic shift aims to combine Intrinsic’s robotics platform with Google’s frontier AI research and infrastructure. By moving closer to the core of Google, the team can now scale physical AI across manufacturing and logistics sectors more effectively.

Scaling Intelligent Automation

The move allows Intrinsic to leverage Google DeepMind and Gemini models directly to solve complex real-world tasks. CEO Wendy Tan White noted that combining their intelligent robotics platform with Google’s infrastructure will unlock the promise of physical AI for a broader set of businesses. This integration is expected to fundamentally shift the economics of global production and enable truly advanced manufacturing.

The Android of Robotics

Intrinsic is widely recognized for its Flowstate platform, which functions as a universal development environment for industrial robots. By providing modular robotic behaviors known as skills, the software allows developers to program complex tasks without deep hardware expertise. This approach supports a variety of hardware from major manufacturers like Comau and KUKA.

Validating the Factory of the Future

Recent commercial success has accelerated this transition, notably a major joint venture with Foxconn to automate AI server assembly. The partnership validates Intrinsic’s software in high-demand environments where frequent design changes are common. These complex industrial settings require the adaptive intelligence that Google’s foundation models can now provide with greater cohesion.

A Unified AI Strategy

Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google’s Chief Product Officer of the Other Bets, emphasized the opportunity in bridging digital and physical worlds. He stated that the merger brings breakthrough AI to industries at scale. This consolidation follows Intrinsic’s previous strategic acquisitions, including Vicarious and the commercial team behind the Robot Operating System (ROS).