Meta acquires Assured Robot Intelligence for humanoid AI push

Meta Platforms acquired San Diego and New York-based robotics AI startup Assured Robot Intelligence (ARI) on May 1, 2026 for an undisclosed sum. ARI co-founders Lerrel Pinto, Xiaolong Wang, and Xuxin Cheng will join Meta's Superintelligence Labs. ARI builds foundation models for humanoid robots to perform physical labor including household chores. ARI had raised a seed round from AI seed firm AIX Ventures. This follows Meta's failed $2 billion acquisition of Singapore-based AI agent startup Manus, blocked by China's NDRC on April 27. Meta's acquisition spree aligns with raising its 2026 capital spending forecast to $125-$145 billion.