New Delhi: In a development that has reignited the debate over artificial intelligence and automation replacing human jobs, robotics startup Figure AI has claimed that the number of robots working at the company now exceeds its human workforce.
Figure AI founder and chief executive officer Brett Adcock announced the milestone on social media platform X, sharing a graph that showed the company’s robot population surpassing the number of human employees.
“For the first time, robots now outnumber humans at Figure,” Adcock wrote in his post.
Robot workforce grows rapidly
The graph, titled “Headcount vs Robots”, tracked the growth of both human employees and robots at the company from 2022 to 2026.
According to the data shared by Adcock, the number of robots remained negligible until the first quarter of 2025. However, once the company began manufacturing its humanoid robots at scale, their numbers surged rapidly.
The robot workforce reportedly crossed the 100 mark by the end of 2025 and climbed to around 740 by the second quarter of 2026.
In comparison, Figure AI’s human workforce grew steadily from almost zero in 2022 to around 400 employees by the end of 2025 before increasing to approximately 650 to 660 employees in 2026.
The figures indicate that robots are joining the company at a significantly faster pace than human employees.
CEO shares image of humanoid robots
In a separate social media post, Adcock shared an image showing dozens of humanoid robots packed in boxes, accompanied by the caption: “Power On.”
The announcement comes at a time when automation and artificial intelligence are reshaping workplaces across industries, with several technology companies increasingly investing in AI-driven systems and robotics.
According to employment tracking platform Layoffs.fyi, more than 1.19 lakh employees have reportedly lost their jobs across global technology companies so far this year.
Figure AI’s growing prominence
Figure AI gained widespread attention recently after pitting its humanoid robot, the Figure 03, against a human intern in an eight-hour package-sorting challenge titled “Man vs Machine.”
Although the intern emerged victorious, Adcock had then predicted that it would be “the last time a human will ever win” against robots in such tasks.
The company is among several firms competing in the rapidly evolving humanoid robotics sector.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s Tesla is also developing its humanoid robot, the Tesla Optimus, with plans for commercial deployment in the coming years.
Chinese robotics companies such as Unitree Robotics and AgiBot have also made rapid advances in the field of humanoid robotics.
Debate over the future of work
The latest announcement by Figure AI has once again fuelled discussions over the future of employment in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and automation.
While proponents argue that robots and AI could boost productivity and create new opportunities, critics remain concerned about the potential displacement of human workers across several industries.
With companies investing heavily in humanoid robots and AI technologies, the balance between technological advancement and employment generation is likely to remain a key global issue in the years ahead.