tech
November 20, 2025
Google DeepMind Hires Former CTO of Boston Dynamics as the Company Pushes Deeper Into Robotics
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TL;DR
- Google DeepMind hired Aaron Saunders, former CTO of Boston Dynamics, as VP of hardware engineering.
- The hire supports CEO Demis Hassabis' vision of Gemini as a universal AI system for robots, akin to Android.
- DeepMind aims to develop AI models to control various robotic hardware systems, including humanoids and non-humanoids.
- Boston Dynamics is known for its advanced legged robots and acrobatic humanoid machines.
- Saunders previously worked on an amphibious six-legged prototype at Boston Dynamics.
- Boston Dynamics is currently majority-owned by Hyundai Motor Company.
- Other companies like Agility Robotics, Figure AI, 1x, Tesla, and Chinese startups like Unitree are also active in humanoid and legged robot development.
- Hassabis is focused on the AI 'brain' aspect and sees Gemini's multimodal capabilities as ideal for robotics.