For Meta Platforms' multi-week stock rally to continue the upward momentum and achieve a near-term $2 trillion market capitalization, a timely late-morning report outlined the social media giant's next big move: AI-powered humanoid robots.
Bloomberg reports that Mark Zuckerberg's Meta plans to invest in futuristic robots that can perform human tasks. This initiative will be under a new team formed within its Reality Labs hardware division, according to sources familiar with the investment.
The humanoid robots will be trained on the most typical household chores.
Here's more from the report:
Meta plans to work on its own humanoid robot hardware, with an initial focus on household chores. Its bigger ambition is to make the underlying AI, sensors and software for robots that will be manufactured and sold by a range of companies, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the initiative hasn't been announced.
Meta has started discussing its plan with robotics companies, including Unitree Robotics and Figure AI Inc.
Meta's dive into humanoid robots mirrors Elon Musk's Tesla Optimus, a bi-pedal, autonomous humanoid robot designed to complete unsafe, repetitive, or boring tasks.
Wish me luck pic.twitter.com/k5rSj6NkbB
— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) February 14, 2025
Meta confirmed the creation of the new Reality Labs team, which will focus on the development of AI-powered humanoid robots. The team will be led by Marc Whitten, who resigned earlier this month as CEO of General Motors' Cruise self-driving car division.
"The core technologies we've already invested in and built across Reality Labs and AI are complementary to developing the advancements needed for robotics," Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth wrote in a memo that Bloomberg reviewed.
The report sent Meta shares higher, up about 1.3% in the late morning trading session, into record-high territory. Shares are on track for a 20-day rally and just $150 billion shy of a $2 trillion market cap.
The timing of the Meta report was critical and added just enough momentum to keep the pump alive into the lunch hour.
