Google DeepMind Recruits Ex-Boston Dynamics CTO as It Expands Its Focus on Robotics

Google DeepMind has brought on board the former chief technology officer of Boston Dynamics as it delves further into the realm of robotics. Aaron Saunders, who played a significant role in creating back-flipping and dancing robots, assumed the role of VP of hardware engineering at the beginning of this month.

This recruitment aligns closely with DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis’ vision for Gemini, aiming to establish it as a type of operating system for robots, akin to how Google provides its Android software to various smartphone manufacturers.

“You can envision it as somewhat similar to an Android strategy […] We aim to develop an AI system, a Gemini foundation, that functions almost seamlessly across any configuration of bodies,” Hassabis mentioned in a conversation with WIRED. “This includes humanoid forms, as well as non-humanoid ones.”

Boston Dynamics is renowned for its creation of legged robots, including dog-like four-legged systems and humanoid machines that can perform remarkable acrobatics. Prior to becoming VP of engineering in 2018, Saunders was involved with an amphibious six-legged prototype. He took on the role of CTO at Boston Dynamics in 2021.

For years, Google DeepMind has been at the forefront of robotics research. With growing interest in advanced robotic forms such as humanoids, its researchers are intensifying their efforts to develop AI models that can operate robotic hardware systems.

Hassabis expressed enthusiasm about these developments. He predicted that AI-driven robotics “is nearing its breakthrough moment within the next few years,” he shared.

Boston Dynamics is primarily owned by the South Korean automotive giant Hyundai Motor Company, which acquired its stake from SoftBank, having previously obtained the company from Google’s parent, Alphabet, in 2017.

The technologies and know-how needed to create legged robots have become more widely accessible in recent years. Several US startups are now engaged in humanoid development, including Agility Robotics, Figure AI, 1x, and notably Tesla, with Elon Musk recently stating his company aims to manufacture a million Optimus humanoids over the next ten years.

Chinese firms are also advancing in the robotics sector, providing exceptionally cost-effective legged machines compared to their US counterparts. Unitree, based in Hangzhou, China, has recently surpassed Boston Dynamics as the leading supplier of four-legged systems for industries such as manufacturing and construction.

Hassabis acknowledges his admiration for Unitree but emphasizes his focus on software. “I’m primarily interested in the [AI] brain aspect,” he asserts, noting that the multimodal capabilities of Google DeepMind’s flagship model Gemini are especially compatible with robotics.