TL;DR
Boston Dynamics has formed a strategic partnership with Google DeepMind to integrate the lab’s AI foundation models into its next-generation humanoid, Atlas. The collaboration—announced at CES 2026—positions Atlas as the first test case for DeepMind’s robotics-focused models, while Boston Dynamics readies the robot for production with Hyundai.
What happened
At CES 2026, Boston Dynamics revealed a strategic research partnership with Google’s AI research lab, DeepMind, to accelerate development of its next-generation humanoid robot, Atlas. The collaboration centers on applying DeepMind’s AI foundation models to give Atlas more humanlike behavior and improve its interactions with people. Boston Dynamics said Atlas is already in production and will be sent to a Hyundai factory; a prototype demonstrated walking onstage during the Hyundai press event. Google DeepMind’s senior robotics lead described Atlas as the initial platform for integrating the lab’s models, building on last year’s Gemini Robotics work — a multimodal model intended to help robots perceive, reason, use tools and interact with humans. Boston Dynamics and its majority owner Hyundai framed the tie-up as combining advanced robotics hardware and large-scale AI models to move research toward real-world scaling and productization.
Why it matters
- Applies large AI foundation models directly to a commercial humanoid robot platform, signaling a shift from research demos to product-focused robotics.
- Combines DeepMind’s multimodal robotics models with Boston Dynamics’ hardware and Hyundai’s manufacturing capacity, potentially accelerating deployment.
- Focus on natural human interaction addresses a key barrier for humanoid robots moving from athletic demos to everyday use cases.
- Demonstrates industry convergence: AI labs, robot makers and automakers collaborating on end-to-end development and scaling.
Key facts
- Announcement made during Hyundai’s CES 2026 press conference.
- Partnership pairs Boston Dynamics with Google DeepMind to integrate AI foundation models into Atlas.
- Carolina Parada, senior director of robotics at Google DeepMind, said Atlas will be the first test case for the integration.
- Boston Dynamics reported Atlas is already in production and will be sent to a Hyundai factory.
- A walking Atlas prototype appeared onstage during the announcement.
- DeepMind’s Gemini Robotics models — based on the multimodal Gemini model — were introduced less than a year earlier to help robots perceive, reason and use tools.
- Boston Dynamics is majority owned by Hyundai Motor Group.
- Boston Dynamics’ Spot is in use in more than 40 countries; its warehouse robot Stretch has unloaded over 20 million boxes since 2023, according to Hyundai.
What to watch next
- Progress integrating DeepMind’s foundation models with Atlas and early behavior tests (development timeline not confirmed in the source).
- Commercialization milestones and factory rollout at Hyundai for Atlas (not confirmed in the source).
- How Gemini Robotics’ capabilities translate from research demos to safe, natural human interaction in real settings (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- Foundation model: A large, pre-trained AI model designed to be adapted for multiple downstream tasks across domains.
- Multimodal model: An AI model that processes more than one type of data — for example, combining vision, language, and sensor inputs.
- Humanoid robot: A robot designed with a human-like body plan, including limbs and often a torso, intended to operate in environments built for humans.
- Prototype: An early sample or model built to test concepts and demonstrate capabilities before full-scale production.
Reader FAQ
Is Atlas already in production?
Yes — Boston Dynamics said Atlas is in production and is headed to a Hyundai factory.
What role will Google DeepMind play in Atlas development?
DeepMind will integrate its AI foundation models with Atlas; the robot is described as the first test case for that work.
Will Boston Dynamics use the Gemini Robotics model for Atlas?
The source links the partnership to DeepMind’s robotics models and notes Gemini Robotics was announced previously, but exact model usage details are not confirmed in the source.
When will Atlas be commercially available and at what price?
not confirmed in the source
How will safety and human interaction be validated?
Not confirmed in the source
Robotics company Boston Dynamics announced Monday a strategic partnership with Google’s AI research lab to speed up the development of its next-generation humanoid robot Atlas — and make it act…
Sources
- Boston Dynamics’s next-gen humanoid robot will have Google DeepMind DNA
- Boston Dynamics is training an AI-powered humanoid …
- Atlas
- How Boston Dynamics upgraded the Atlas robot
Related posts
- Boston Dynamics and Google DeepMind launch AI partnership for Atlas humanoids
- Boston Dynamics and Google DeepMind team up to add Gemini AI to Atlas robots
- Google DeepMind to Embed Gemini AI in Boston Dynamics’ Atlas Robots