OpenAI has named Caitlin CK Kalinowski, former leader of Meta’s AR glasses project, as the new head of its robotics and consumer hardware group. Kalinowski made the announcement on her LinkedIn profile and the X social media platform on Monday – alluding her drive to push the OpenAI agenda where transformations give way to robotics and artificial intelligence functioning in real-world scenarios. This development, however, is more than a reaction to OpenAI’s interest in robotics. It is part of a bigger systemic change in which the organization seeks to redefine its engagement beyond purely software related solutions.
The appointment of Kalinowski points to OpenAI’s emerging focus on hardware after recent spending and partnership activities to promote the development of physical AI technologies. Furthermore, her arrival occurred shortly after OpenAI revealed its plans to invest in a robotics venture named Physical Intelligence that freshly evaluated at $2.4 billion managed to raise $400 million round of capital. Physical Intelligence works towards building AI systems capable of controlling robots for any tasks, and the company is financed by well-known entrepreneurs such as Jeff Bezos, Thrive Capital, and Lux Capital, among others.
In addition to her other extensive experience, Kalinowski joins OpenAI’s growing hardware division. Prior to joining Meta –whom she worked for after the completion of an ORION project called Project Nazare, which was the most innovative AR glasses project at Meta- Kalinowski spent nine years working for Oculus, Meta’s VR subsidiary, where she focused on VR headsets. Kalinowski integrated known technologies and architectural ideas to hardware while at Apple Studios by being infamously responsible for designing both the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, thus enhancing her hardware design and innovation background.
There is more to Kalinowski’s arrival to OpenAI, particularly, the development of the company. OpenAI, a company known for its diverse sea of AI models, with one, in particular, ChatGPT registering huge success is further looking into producing real products, which engage advanced AI and hardware. This aspect is even more heightened by the on-going collaboration with Jony Ive, a prominent designer who worked for Apple as the head of design, and who is also working on an AI-enabled device alongside OpenAI.
Kalinowski’s first day at OpenAI was November 5, 2024, which indicated the company’s further expansion and its strategic intent to venture into hardware and robotics. It is expected that her leadership will be fundamental in catalyzing the necessity for OpenAI to combine its advances in AI with their use in the real world, all made possible by consumer centric smart robots and devices revolutionizing the industries.
