DeepMind unveils robot AI update and open safety benchmark

Google DeepMind has introduced Gemini Robotics 2.5, a new version of its AI system for controlling robots, alongside an open safety benchmark called ASIMOV-jailbreak. The update aims to help robots handle a wider range of physical tasks, and trials in Mercedes-Benz factories show progress beyond laboratory demonstrations.

Across more than 200 laboratory tasks, DeepMind reports success rates 30 to 100 per cent higher than the previous version, with tasks completed 20 to 30 per cent faster. In factory trials, Apptronik’s Apollo robots achieved a 96 per cent success rate while kitting automotive parts, though DeepMind says matching human-level reliability remains difficult. The system used simulated practice runs based on real-world camera data as well as demonstrations, and still relies on cloud computing.