Dozens of humanoid robots are controlled by their operators to repeatedly perform jobs like opening doors, preparing sandwiches, and folding T-shirts in a large warehouse in a Shanghai neighbourhood.

The website, which is open around the clock, aims to produce vast amounts of data that its owner, the Chinese humanoid startup AgiBot, uses to train robots that it thinks will become commonplace and transform how people live, work, and play.

In order to solve labour shortages, transform the industry, and increase economic resilience in the face of global issues, China is speeding up the development of AI-powered humanoid robots. The nation is establishing itself as a global leader in robotics because of strong government support and quick technical developments.

Developments in Technology and Mass Manufacturing

Robots that can do tasks like pouring milk and making breakfast, like the $27,500 Dobot Atom, are starting to appear on the market. With businesses like AgiBot and Leju Robotics increasing output to satisfy rising demand, these advancements mark the beginning of mass production. A humanoid robot training facility has been created in Shanghai with the goal of training more than 100 robots by 2025 and expanding to 1,000 by 2027.

Difficulties and Moral Aspects

Concerns over the safety of AI systems and job displacement continue despite technical improvements. Discussions concerning the regulation and supervision of AI technology have been triggered by a recent event in which a humanoid robot malfunctioned and hurt a worker. Legislators are thinking about changes to handle possible automation-related unemployment problems.

Humanoid Robots in China: Advancements and Difficulties

China is positioned to spearhead a revolutionary change in global manufacturing because of its strong investments in humanoid robotics. Although there are still obstacles to overcome, the nation’s technological developments and strategic initiatives point to a big influence on the nature of industry and employment in the future. 

When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited AgiBot’s robots in Shanghai last month, it was clear how important humanoid robots are to Beijing as it searches for answers to urgent problems, including trade tensions with the United States, population decrease, and slowing economy. During the visit, Xi joked that the machines might be able to play football. Earlier this year, Xi called a meeting for private companies, including Unitree, another domestic humanoid robot company, and urged them to support China’s economy.

As Xi reflected, Chinese humanoid robots have shown an increasing amount of dexterity in recent years, including the ability to run a half-marathon, somersault, and even play football.
However, for the first time, Reuters is revealing how China’s artificial intelligence developments, which are fueled in part by domestic companies like DeepSeek and a wealth of government assistance, are enabling humanoid developers to combine the robots’ already remarkable hardware with the software required to make them profitable.

Government Support and a Strategic Push

In order to promote innovation and widespread use, China has allocated more than $20 billion to the humanoid robots industry, including a 1 trillion yuan ($137 billion) fund. This project is a component of a larger plan to incorporate robotics and AI into the manufacturing, healthcare, and service sectors. At the forefront are startups like AgiBot and Unitree, which are creating robots that can perform nimble jobs like opening doors, preparing sandwiches, and folding clothes.

Are Jobs at Risk?

Chinese lawmakers have started talking about the potential wide-ranging effects intelligent humanoid robots could have on the workforce, even though the technology is still in its infancy. A 2023 National Bureau of Statistics study estimates that 123 million Chinese are employed in industry.

Social security specialist Zheng Gongcheng said during this year’s National People’s Congress that the advancement of AI and robotics would impact about 70% of China’s industrial sector, potentially resulting in a sharp drop in social security contributions.

Beijing views the technology as crucial to addressing labour shortages in sectors like elder care, where demand is rising as China’s 1.4 billion-person population ages, despite worries about the effect on jobs.