Google is set to integrate Intrinsic, an Alphabet-owned robotics software company, into its operations to enhance physical AI capabilities for industrial applications.
Intrinsic will continue to operate as a distinct entity within Google while collaborating closely with Google DeepMind. The company will leverage Google’s Gemini AI models and cloud services to further develop its robotics software. Although Alphabet has not disclosed financial details regarding the transfer or any potential purchase price, the move signifies a significant step in advancing physical AI.
Intrinsic has its roots as a project within Alphabet’s X moonshot division, where it operated for five years before becoming an independent Alphabet company in 2021. Since then, Wendy Tan White has led Intrinsic as its CEO. The company has followed in the footsteps of other successful X spin-offs, including Waymo and Wing. Following its independence, Intrinsic quickly expanded its capabilities, notably through the acquisition of Vicarious, a robotics software firm, in April 2022. Vicarious had secured around $250 million in venture capital funding from investors such as Jeff Bezos, although the acquisition price remained undisclosed.
In the subsequent months, Intrinsic also acquired several for-profit divisions from Open Robotics, a nonprofit organization focused on developing hardware and software platforms for the robotics industry. Despite these strategic acquisitions, Intrinsic underwent a restructuring in January 2023, resulting in the layoff of 20% of its workforce. However, the company continued to push forward with its product development. Several months after the layoffs, Intrinsic unveiled its first product, Flowstate, a software platform aimed at simplifying the creation of robotics workflows for developers without extensive robotics experience.
Intrinsic continued to refine its technology and enhance its simulation capabilities. A significant milestone was achieved in late 2025 with the release of its Intrinsic Vision AI model. Furthermore, in October 2025, the company announced a joint venture with Foxconn, a leading electronics manufacturer, to develop general-purpose intelligent robots tailored for electronics manufacturing and full factory automation. According to CEO Wendy Tan White, the integration with Google’s AI and infrastructure will unlock the potential of physical AI for a broader range of manufacturing businesses and developers.
Industry leaders, including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Qualcomm’s Cristiano Amon, are increasingly viewing physical AI as the next critical step in both the monetization and advancement of AI technologies. This development underscores the growing importance of physical AI in industrial applications and its potential to drive future innovations.
