A Retrospective Look: Phoenix™ and Carbon™ Unveiling

On May 16, 2023, Sanctuary AI unveiled Phoenix™, its sixth-generation general-purpose robot,  and Carbon™, a pioneering and unique AI control system designed to give Phoenix human-like intelligence and enable it to do a wide range of work tasks. This was a major step forward on Sanctuary AI’s mission to create the world’s first human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots.

Following the unveiling of Phoenix, we have been thrilled and overwhelmed by the reception our announcement has received. Phoenix and Carbon captured public interest and many enjoyed imagining what the future of work will look like with general-purpose robots. It was a pleasure to hear everyone’s take on the announcement; we would like to share a few notable highlights from the coverage it received.

When introducing Sanctuary AI, Paulo Montenegro at Ubergizmo emphasizes how we are at the bleeding edge of technology, writing: "In a world where technology constantly evolves, another remarkable innovation has just emerged — Sanctuary AI, a pioneering tech startup, has unveiled a groundbreaking addition to the workforce."

TechCrunch’s Brian Heater underscores the significance of our progress, writing that “Sanctuary provides a good look at where the race to build the ideal humanoid robot stands.”

In an article for The Independent, Robert Waugh writes that “Unlike the robots used widely in industry, Phoenix is built to do any job, rather than a single one.” Unlike specialized machines designed for singular tasks, Phoenix is designed to be general-purpose. Waugh emphasizes Phoenix’s dexterous and industry-leading hands as a pivotal point in our success, noting that “One key breakthrough enabling the new generation [...] is hands that can pick up objects delicately.”

At Core 77, Rain Noe describes Phoenix aesthetically as “all well-considered, with pleasing proportions, edges with breaks, two-tone paneling and color accents that excite.”

We have made a tremendous effort to honor honesty and truth in our marketing. This announcement was no exception to that rule. Although CGI and renders create impressive marketing campaigns, we only used footage and photos of Phoenix robots–real Phoenix robots, in physical form–in our filming studio. The Phoenix Unveiling is just one of many videos we have publicly released that give an truthful look at our technology, many of which include Sanctuary robots performing hundreds of work tasks across dozens of different industries. Our honesty is paying off: people are really beginning to understand our mission and see the value of our technology as a solution to the growing labor problems.   

In a recent article by Todd Bishop at GeekWire, he highlights the groundbreaking potential of Phoenix and Carbon, stating that with Phoenix, “Sanctuary AI looks to usher in ‘labor as a service,’” which he defines as a “business model in which robots integrate seamlessly into a workforce.”

Another publication authored by David H. Freedman for Newsweek describes a vision where “Sanctuary AI's Phoenix will work shoulder-to-shoulder with people as robo-cooks, robo-stockers and robo-gardeners.”

Kristin Houser at Big Think goes further as she also writes about a new turning point for labor, where “General-purpose robots — ones that can handle a variety of tasks — would allow employers to automate whatever is most pressing on a given day.”Taking this forward, Chris Middleton writes for Diginomica about a future where “a genuinely intelligent, multi-purpose robot that can both comprehend the world around it and carry out tasks autonomously, to order.” As we progress towards this exciting future, it's clear that Sanctuary AI's dedication to innovation and practicality will play a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of robotics and automation–and Middleton writes to this as well:

“To reach that point demands a company like Sanctuary AI, which understands the one critical point: humanoid robots must actually be for something; they must carry out useful tasks and services, safely, reliably, and adeptly, with minimal human intervention.”

From co-founder and former CEO Geordie Rose’s interview with BNN Blomberg to features in Singularity Hub, IEEE Spectrum, and The Logic, we have seen our work speak for itself many times. Sanctuary AI’s literal take on “general-purpose” has led to consistent innovation as we lead the charge in this field, creating products such as industry-leading hands and a unique AI control system, Carbon, that will help Phoenix address the labor challenges affecting many organizations today.

As Knowlton Thomas writes for Techcouver, “What sets Sanctuary AI apart from others in the industry is this literal emphasis on creating a technology that can conduct physical work just like a person.”

As the Chief Marketing Officer at Sanctuary AI, I wanted to take a moment to extend our gratitude for this opportunity to showcase Phoenix and Carbon. We thank every journalist and reader for their interest, as well as everyone who has supported us on this journey. For those who are interested, please refer to the below for some of the announcement coverage highlights:

Big Think
BNN Bloomberg
Core 77
Diginomica
Freethink
GeekWire
IEEE Spectrum
Interesting Engineering
New Atlas
Newsweek
SiliconANGLE
Singularity Hub
Techcouver
The Independent
The Logic
The Robot Report
Ubergizmo

As we celebrate this milestone, it’s essential that we continue to remain focused on our mission and values–including trust in AI and robotics. Thank you to everyone who has continued to follow our progress as we create the world’s first human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots.

Ben Reed
CMO
Sanctuary

About Sanctuary AI

Sanctuary is on a mission to create the world’s first human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots that will help us work more safely, efficiently, and sustainably, helping to address the labor challenges facing many organizations today. Sanctuary's growing list of customers and investors represents a wide variety of industries across Canada, the U.S., and other countries around the world.

Join us and work with world leaders in the fields of artificial intelligence, cognition, and robotics—all working together toward a common goal. Visit our careers page to learn more.