As we have already observed, in July 2025, China held AI summit at Shanghai. In this event, China held the march of robots at the exhibition venue. The whole spectacle looked like science-fiction. The robots played drums, served eatables such as popcorn, played in boxing ring or hanged in the hallway awaiting their turn. They had a beautiful uncanny face, full of cosmetic effects — eyeliner and rogue. There were dog-like bots who could stand on their hind legs.
It is easier to dismiss the whole thing which will fade out once the novelty wears off China is promoting the robotics sector. Humanoid robots involve high costs and technology barriers. They are not able to do much on their own. All these demos are curated. It requires human intervention. As it was vacation time, kids accompanied the parents to enjoy the humanoid show.
Though in nascent stage now, these have the potential to evolve for prime time. The entry barries have been removed by economical open-source software access. More data will be needed to train them for the real world. And like a chatbot, they should understand the natural language.
China has invested in automation and embodied AI. They are strong in EV manufacture and tech manufacturing. This has created a supply chain for robotics. The firms also collaborate with each other in developing an eco-system conducive to novelty.
The US should not lag behind China. In the exhibition, a humanoid with a price tag of $ 5900 was unveiled. The older generation cost $ 16000. So, this was quite a come down.
All the prototypes on display may not be commercialized. The workplaces and residences may not be robotized soon. Whether robots would be tools or our partners is to be seen. Those firms will survive which create robots that could work on shop floors, retail outlets and fast-food joints.
The robots that make most contribution may not look like humans. There is no need to make them look cosmetic. The focus should be on efficiency.
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