China's AI-powered humanoid robots aim to transform manufacturing

TimesLIVE

13-05-2025

Widening deployment of humanoids, especially into factories, is likely to accelerate data collection.
MagicLab, another humanoid startup, said in an interview that its focus on the robots' brains has allowed it to recently begin deploying prototypes in production lines for tasks such as quality inspection, material handling, and assembly.
"These breakthroughs lay the foundation for our focus in 2025 on real-world applications," said CEO Wu Changzheng, adding that MagicLab has integrated its robots with AI models like DeepSeek, Alibaba's Qwen, and ByteDance's Doubao.
"DeepSeek has been helpful in task reasoning and comprehension, contributing to the development of our robots' 'brains.'"
China's clearest advantage, however, is its domination of the hardware that makes up a humanoid. The country is capable of making up to 90% of humanoid components, lowering barriers to entry, according to analysts and startups.
As a result, China now accounts for the majority of manufacturers working on such projects globally and dominates the supply chain, according to Morgan Stanley. Some Chinese startups are selling robots as cheaply as 88,000 yuan ($12,178).
"If you have a requirement in the morning, suppliers might come to your company with materials or products by the afternoon, or you can go directly to their site to see for yourself," said Zhang Miao, chief operating officer of Beijing-based startup CASBOT.
"It's difficult to achieve this level of efficiency overseas," she added, as companies would need to import materials from China.
The sector has seen an explosion of new firms. In 2024, 31 Chinese companies unveiled 36 competing humanoid models versus eight by US companies, according to Morgan Stanley.
At least six companies in China, including market leaders Unitree and UBTech, have said they have entered mass production or are preparing to do so this year.
Jobs at risk?
While the industry remains incipient, Chinese lawmakers have begun to discuss the far-reaching implications intelligent humanoid robots could have for the workforce. Some 123-million people work in manufacturing in China, according to a 2023 survey by the National Bureau of Statistics.
At this year's National People's Congress, social security expert Zheng Gongcheng warned that the development of robots and AI would affect around 70% of China's manufacturing sector, which could lead to a steep decline in social security contributions.
At the same gathering, Liu Qingfeng, chairperson of domestic AI firm iFlytek, suggested the creation of an AI unemployment insurance program that would provide six to 12 months of coverage for workers replaced by robots.
Tang Jian, chief technology officer at the government-backed Beijing Innovation Centre of Human Robotics, told Reuters on the sidelines of the Beijing robot half-marathon in April that its prototypes were targeting jobs that humans don't want to do due to their boring or repetitive nature, as well as dangerous tasks.
Despite concerns about the impact on jobs, Beijing sees the technology as key to plug labour shortages in areas such as elderly care, where demand is increasing as China's 1.4-billion population ages. China's government published a national elderly-care plan in December that encouraged integration of humanoid robots and AI.
Soon after, tech giant Ant Group announced the creation of new subsidiary Ant Lingbo Technology, whose humanoid robots will focus on elderly care, among other areas.
"The robots in five or 10 years could organise a resident's room, pick up a package or even transfer people from a bed to a washroom," said AgiBot's Yao.