Google DeepMind taps Boston Dynamics's Aaron Saunders to lead robotics hardware
Google DeepMind just brought in Aaron Saunders, the former CTO of Boston Dynamics, as its new VP of Hardware Engineering.
Announced by CEO Demis Hassabis, Saunders will now head up efforts to blend DeepMind's Gemini AI into real-world robots—part of a bigger plan to make a universal AI "brain" for machines, kind of like what Android is for phones.
Why does this matter?
Gemini isn't your average AI—it can understand text, images, audio, and video all at once.
That means robots powered by Gemini could handle tricky environments and do physical tasks without always needing the internet.
With Saunders's track record—think backflipping robots at Boston Dynamics—he could help take both humanoid and non-humanoid robotics at DeepMind to the next level.
Who is Aaron Saunders?
Saunders spent 22 years at Boston Dynamics, helping build famous bots like Atlas and Spot.
He started as VP of Engineering in 2018 before becoming CTO in 2021.
His move to DeepMind signals a push for bigger things in robotics.