Fanuc Partners with Google and NVIDIA to Pioneer AI-Driven Factory Robots

Japan's industrial equipment giant Fanuc is betting big on artificial intelligence to revolutionize manufacturing. The company announced a collaboration with Google on May 13 to develop factory robots capable of understanding verbal and handwritten instructions. These AI-powered machines will perform tasks autonomously, potentially reshaping production floors worldwide.

Fanuc's new system, developed using Google's Gemini AI, requires no programming expertise—a significant leap in accessibility. The 1956-founded manufacturer plans full compatibility with Google's software across its robot lineup. This follows Fanuc's December 2025 announcement of opening its proprietary systems through a partnership with NVIDIA, acknowledging the challenges of solo AI development.

The move signals a broader industry shift toward physical AI—systems that perceive, reason, and act in real-world environments. Unlike traditional robots limited to repetitive tasks, these intelligent machines handle complexity and unpredictability. Japan's manufacturing sector, long reliant on tacit knowledge, now stands at the forefront of this industrial transformation.