UPS in talks with startup Figure AI to deploy humanoid robots
United Parcel Service Inc. is in talks with robotics startup Figure AI Inc. to use humanoid robots for some tasks in the logistics giant's network, according to people familiar with the matter.
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UPS and Figure began having discussions about a partnership last year and have continued talks in recent months, said the people, who asked not be identified as the details are private.
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The exact functions that Figure's humanoids would handle for UPS remain unclear. The startup hinted at a tie-up with a logistics firm in February, posting a 90-second video on X that showed its sleek, 5-foot-6-inch robot standing beside a conveyor belt, picking and sorting small parcels.
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A growing number of startups and Big Tech firms are seizing on recent advances in artificial intelligence technology to develop robots that look and move more like people. Figure has emerged as one of the most prominent startups in this group. The company has held talks with investors to raise US$1.5 billion at a valuation of US$39.5 billion, Bloomberg reported in February. More recently, some have questioned whether Figure may have exaggerated the extent of its work with customer BMW AG.
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Winnipeg Free Press
24 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
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Toronto Sun
2 hours ago
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Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Uncovered by Ottawa-based media outlet Blacklock's Reporter, it seems the Canadian Embassy in Washington signed a contract with an almost entirely Democrat Party firm to teach them how to engage with conservative and right-wing media in the age of Trump. In the grand scheme of things, this contract isn't a big deal, it's worth just US$6,000 or about C$8,300 but on an hourly basis it works out to US$2,000 per hour or C$2,775 per hour. 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This is a man who was invited to sit in the gallery for Trump's joint address to Congress and who holds incredible sway in the MAGA movement. In other words, he is exactly the kind of person Canadians should be talking to in order to make our case. Despite the sneering from the smart set, Smith was right to meet with him and days after the meeting, Shapiro was telling his audience of millions about the benefits of trading with Canada and explaining why Trump targeting Canada was wrong. Our embassy and the Carney government wouldn't know to do this — that's why they hired a Democrat consulting firm to teach them how to speak to Republicans. This is beyond ridiculous. blilley@ Columnists World Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls
Global News
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- Global News
Appeals court tosses Trump's ‘excessive' US$515M NY civil fraud penalty
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Lowell has said investigating the fraud case is 'the most blatant and desperate example of this administration carrying out the president's political retribution campaign.' Trump and his lawyers said his financial statements weren't deceptive, since they came with disclaimers noting they weren't audited. The defense also noted bankers and insurers independently evaluated the numbers, and the loans were repaid. Despite such discrepancies as tripling the size of his Trump Tower penthouse, he said the financial statements were, if anything, lowball estimates of his fortune. During an appellate court hearing last September, Trump's lawyers argued many of the case's allegations were too old, an assertion they made unsuccessfully before trial. 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