Alphabet has put Boston Dynamics up for sale, sources say

Google parent company Alphabet Inc. have decided its robotics outfit Boston Dynamics isn't likely to produce marketable products anytime soon and as such, have put it up for sale, two sources familiar with the matter say.

The rumor is in line with accidentally leaked e-mails which indicate Google's concern with the viability of the company. The public reaction to the Atlas robot revealed last month could be a factor in the decision as well; the e-mails do well to show Google's worry.

"There's excitement from the tech press, but we're also starting to see some negative threads about it being terrifying, ready to take humans' jobs," wrote Courtney Hohne, a director of communications at Google and the spokeswoman for advanced research group Google X.

Possible buyers are said to include the Toyota Research Institute (a division of Toyota Motor Corp.) and Amazon, which utilizes robots in its order fulfillment centers. Google and Toyota declined to comment, while Amazon did not respond to requests for comment.