At the recent World Robot Conference in Beijing, industry leaders emphasized that the greatest hurdle for humanoid robots is mastering human-like skills, with AI playing a crucial role in this challenge. A standout company in this space is QJ Robots, a Tsinghua University spin-off backed by Temasek, which has developed an AI “world model” enabling robots to better predict and interact with their surroundings. The startup has already earned over $15 million by deploying its technology to more than 100,000 robots, primarily in China, though it continues to seek more diverse data to improve its model.

The Chinese robotics ecosystem is leveraging its manufacturing strength by encouraging partnerships between industrial giants and AI startups. Lumos, founded by another Tsinghua alumnus, recently introduced NexCore, a system designed to allow different robots to understand and execute complex tasks by translating AI instructions into concrete actions. This development signifies the growing push to enhance robot autonomy and practical utility in factory settings and beyond.

Competition to create effective autonomous robotics solutions is heating up, with Ace Robotics, chaired by SenseTime co-founder Wang Xiaogang, emphasizing the importance of combining hardware, AI models, and real-world use-case scenarios. Wang predicts that by the end of 2027, accumulated real-world data will enable a breakthrough moment for robotics akin to the impact ChatGPT had on conversational AI. However, skepticism remains among investors and users, as evidenced by Unitree’s stock decline and the mixed reception from conference visitors who observed that many robots still perform tasks slowly and awkwardly.

Despite technological and market challenges, China’s robotics sector is rapidly evolving, driven by strong academic roots and strategic industry collaborations. While U.S. restrictions on advanced foreign robotic devices have limited the availability of certain technologies, their impact remains minimal due to the limited deployment of humanoids in China so far. Meanwhile, Chinese industry watchers remain hopeful that ongoing advances in AI-powered world models and data-driven robotics will soon lead to significant commercial successes.