Anthropic-Physical Intelligence Acquisition Rumour Fuels AI Robotics Race

A weekend rumour linking Anthropic to a potential acquisition of robotics startup Physical Intelligence ignited widespread discussion across the artificial intelligence community, highlighting the growing importance of robotics in the race to build increasingly capable AI systems. While Physical Intelligence publicly denied the reports, subsequent reporting indicates that the companies did, in fact, hold acquisition discussions earlier this year.

The speculation gained momentum because of Physical Intelligence’s profile within the AI industry. The San Francisco-based startup, co-founded by investor and entrepreneur Lachy Groom alongside former Google researchers and university academics, has emerged as one of the best-funded robotics companies in the sector. It has raised more than $1 billion to date and was reportedly seeking another $1 billion investment earlier this year at an $11 billion valuation.

The company’s π0.5 foundation model has also become one of the more widely adopted AI systems for robotics research, making it a valuable asset as leading AI developers increasingly look beyond language models and toward machines capable of interacting with the physical world.

Reports point to earlier acquisition discussions

The acquisition speculation accelerated after technology blogger Robert Scoble posted on X that Anthropic was acquiring Physical Intelligence. Although the claim was later disputed, reporting from The Information indicated that Anthropic and the robotics startup had indeed discussed a potential acquisition during the spring, suggesting the online reports may have been based on real conversations rather than pure speculation.

Physical Intelligence CEO Karol Hausman reportedly addressed employees through Slack, telling staff that the acquisition reports were untrue. According to The Information, the message included a GIF from the television series The Office showing a character shaking her head“no,” serving as the company’s public response to the growing rumour.

AI leaders continue expanding through acquisitions.

The reports arrive during a period of intense acquisition activity across the AI industry. Anthropic has completed four publicly known acquisitions this year, while OpenAI has pursued an even more aggressive strategy, acquiring at least 17 companies since 2023. Both companies have also confidentially filed for initial public offerings, potentially setting the stage for two of the largest technology stock market debuts in recent years.

Industry observers increasingly view robotics as a critical component in developing future AI systems. Many researchers believe that understanding and interacting with the physical world could become essential for creating more advanced forms of artificial intelligence, something that cannot be achieved through internet text alone.

Robotics becomes the next AI battleground

OpenAI has already renewed its robotics ambitions after previously shutting down its robotics division in 2021. The company quietly rebuilt a robotics team in 2024 before officially launching OpenAI Robotics earlier this year, with CEO Sam Altman describing plans to develop robots for infrastructure work before eventually expanding into broader consumer applications.

Anthropic has taken a different approach, focusing on robotics research rather than hardware development. Through projects such as Project Fetch, the company has evaluated how its Claude models assist users in programming robots, reporting significant performance improvements in more recent testing.

Acquiring an established robotics company could allow Anthropic to accelerate its ambitions instead of building expertise internally. However, any future transaction could prove complicated because OpenAI is already an investor in Physical Intelligence. That relationship raises questions about whether OpenAI holds investment rights or contractual protections that could influence any potential sale to a direct competitor.

While no acquisition has been announced, the episode underscores how valuable robotics expertise has become as leading AI companies compete to extend artificial intelligence beyond software and into the physical world.