The startup Figure AI, specializing in the development of humanoid robots, is facing a lawsuit from its former head of security. The engineer alleges retaliatory dismissal after raising concerns about critical risks associated with the power of the robots and changes to the safety plans presented to investors. The legal dispute emerged after Robert Gruendel, the former principal robotic safety engineer and product safety head, filed a complaint in the Northern California federal court. He claims to have been unfairly fired last September, shortly after formally reporting potential operational risks related to the company’s humanoid robots.
According to court documents reviewed by CNBC, Gruendel directly informed CEO Brett Adcock and chief engineer Kyle Edelberg about the potentially lethal capabilities of the developing robotic platforms. He even documented an incident where a malfunction caused a 6-millimeter incision on a steel refrigerator door. His complaints also involved the leadership’s decision to scale back a safety roadmap previously presented to two investors who later participated in a funding round.
The financial context adds significance to the issue: just two months before the lawsuit, Figure AI reached a valuation of $39 billion, marking a more than 15-fold increase since the beginning of 2024, with support from prominent names like Jeff Bezos, NVIDIA, and Microsoft. In his complaint, Gruendel’s lawyers suggest that altering the safety plan around the same time as closing the funding round could be seen as deceptive conduct towards investors.
Gruendel argues that instead of being recognized as professional duties, his observations were viewed as hindering product development and timelines. His dismissal was reportedly justified with a vague “change in corporate direction.” The engineer is seeking economic, compensatory, and punitive damages, as well as a jury trial. The company, as reported, has not issued any comments on the matter.
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