MENLO PARK — Meta has reportedly built a prototype humanoid robot together with Chinese robotics startup Fourier and is already working on a second version, according to a report published on Saturday, 31 October 2026. The account, first reported by The Information and carried by Reuters, cites people familiar with the initiative — but it has not been confirmed by either company, and Reuters said it could not immediately verify the report.
The reported prototype is said to carry the internal codename "Max", weigh about 106 pounds (roughly 48 kilograms), and to have been built in about three months. Meta is reported to see humanoid robots as the physical embodiment of its Muse artificial intelligence agent, with the hope that such machines will one day perform various household tasks. The company is also reported to have no plans to sell these units. As of the afternoon of 31 October, neither Meta nor Fourier had published a statement, specifications, or images of the machine in their online newsrooms, according to coverage of the report.
Illustration: Humanoid robot prototype standing in a robotics laboratory.
What Happened
The Information reported on 31 October 2026 that Meta Platforms had built a prototype humanoid robot with Fourier, a Chinese startup, and was working on a second version, citing people familiar with the effort. Reuters relayed the report the same day, adding its own caution: it could not immediately verify the account. That distinction matters. What is public so far is a sourced report about a private project, not an announcement, a product launch, or a demonstration.
According to the fuller summaries of The Information's reporting, the prototype — codenamed Max — was assembled in roughly three months and weighs about 48 kilograms, lighter than many full-size humanoid prototypes that have been shown publicly in recent years. The speed of the build is itself part of the story: rather than developing every component in-house over several years, Meta is reported to have partnered with an established robotics manufacturer to get physical hardware into testing quickly, while it continues to develop the AI software that would animate it.
Meta's reported framing for the project is also notable. The robots are described as the physical embodiment of Muse, Meta's AI agent, pointing to a future in which the same kind of assistant that answers questions on a screen could also move through a home and carry out physical chores. The report says Meta has no plans to sell the units, which suggests the current effort is about research, testing, and learning what such a machine can usefully do — not about opening a new consumer product line.
Background
Meta's interest in humanoid robots is not new, even if this reported prototype is. In February 2025, Meta formed a team inside its Reality Labs hardware division to develop humanoid robots, according to reporting at the time by GeekWire following a Bloomberg report. Reality Labs is the division behind Meta's virtual-reality headsets and its AI glasses, and the humanoid team was presented as an extension of that hardware work into machines that move through the physical world.
Fourier, the reported partner, is a Chinese robotics company founded in 2015 that began its humanoid robot project in 2019, according to its company website. It calls its GR-1, launched in 2023, the first mass-produced humanoid robot in the industry, and it released its GR-3 series in 2025. Fourier also makes rehabilitation devices, giving it experience in machines designed to work safely around people — a relevant background for a household robot, where a machine must operate in cluttered, unpredictable rooms rather than on a factory floor.
The reported partnership also lands in a crowded and fast-moving field. Humanoid robots have moved from research curiosities to a genuine industry race in the past two years, with startups and established manufacturers alike showing machines intended for factories, warehouses, and eventually homes. Some have opened pre-orders for home-oriented robots, others are raising large funding rounds to scale production, and manufacturers are beginning to deploy robots in industrial settings. Meta's reported approach — pairing its AI agent work with an experienced hardware partner — fits that pattern: software companies need bodies for their brains, and robotics companies need smarter brains for their bodies.
Illustration: Humanoid robot helping with household tasks in a modern living room.
Why It Matters
If the report is accurate, it would mark a significant expansion of Meta's AI strategy from screens and glasses into physical machines. Meta has invested heavily in AI models and agents; a humanoid body would give those systems hands, mobility, and a presence in the home. That is a different kind of bet from a chatbot or a pair of smart glasses, because a household robot must be safe, reliable, and genuinely useful before anyone will welcome it into their living room.
The partnership structure also matters for a second reason: it crosses the US–China technology divide. A leading American technology company reportedly working with a Chinese robotics startup on advanced hardware is notable at a time when Washington and Beijing are competing intensely over AI, chips, and robotics, and when technology supply chains are under political scrutiny. Neither company has commented publicly on the report, so the terms of any collaboration — and how it would navigate export controls and political sensitivities — remain unknown.
For the wider robotics industry, a Meta entry would add another deep-pocketed competitor to a field that is already attracting enormous investment. Humanoid robots are still expensive, limited in capability, and far from ready for unsupervised work in homes. But every major technology company that enters the field accelerates the competition for talent, components, and manufacturing capacity, and pushes the timeline for practical machines a little closer.
At the same time, the unverified status of the report is itself a cautionary note. Single-source reports about secret hardware projects are sometimes wrong in detail, even when they capture the broad direction correctly. The weight, the three-month timeline, and the codename all come from people familiar with the initiative, as cited by The Information, and have not been confirmed by the companies involved. Readers should treat the specifics as reported, not established, until Meta or Fourier says something on the record.
What Happens Next
The most immediate question is whether Meta or Fourier will confirm, deny, or elaborate on the report. A confirmation could come with photographs, video, or technical details; a denial would reset the story entirely. Until then, expect analysts and rivals to read the report as a signal of intent rather than a product fact.
Longer term, the key tests for any household humanoid are practical ones: can it navigate a real home safely, can it handle objects reliably, can it work for hours without constant supervision, and can it do all of that at a price anyone would pay? The reported prototype, built in three months and not for sale, appears to be an early step toward answering those questions rather than an answer to them.
Watch also for how the project, if real, interacts with Meta's existing hardware and AI roadmap. A humanoid designed as the body of an AI agent would need to connect with the same models, safety systems, and voice interfaces Meta is building for its glasses and apps — and it would face the same questions about privacy, safety, and trust that already surround cameras and microphones in the home, only more so, because the machine can move.
Illustration: Humanoid robots on an assembly line in a modern factory.
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FAQ
What has been reported about Meta's humanoid robot?
The Information reported on 31 October 2026, citing people familiar with the initiative, that Meta built a prototype humanoid robot with Chinese startup Fourier and is working on a second version. Reuters carried the report but said it could not immediately verify it, and neither company had publicly confirmed it.
What is the robot reportedly called, and how big is it?
The prototype is reportedly codenamed "Max", weighs about 106 pounds (roughly 48 kilograms), and was built in about three months, according to summaries of The Information's reporting.
What would the robot be for?
Meta reportedly sees humanoid robots as the physical embodiment of its Muse AI agent and hopes they will perform various household tasks. The company is reported to have no plans to sell these units, suggesting a research and testing effort rather than a consumer launch.
Who is Fourier?
Fourier is a Chinese robotics company founded in 2015 that started its humanoid robot project in 2019. It launched the GR-1 in 2023, which it describes as the industry's first mass-produced humanoid robot, and released its GR-3 series in 2025. It also makes rehabilitation devices.
Has Meta confirmed the report?
No. As of the afternoon of 31 October 2026, neither Meta nor Fourier had published a statement, specifications, or images about the reported prototype in their online newsrooms, and Reuters said it could not immediately verify the report. The details should therefore be treated as reported, not confirmed.
Sources
Reuters, "Meta builds humanoid robot with Chinese startup Fourier, The Information says", 31 October 2026; The Information, as reported by Reuters and summarised by AI Weekly and AI Stock Wire, 31 October 2026; Fourier company website, via coverage of the report; GeekWire/Bloomberg reporting on Meta's Reality Labs humanoid team, February 2025.
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