The CEO of the Chinese startup Unitree stated on Thursday that the industry is approaching what can be called a 'ChatGPT moment' for artificial intelligence systems in robots. This statement came after the company's public listing in Shanghai highlighted China's ambition to lead the next wave of AI-driven machines.
Shares of the leading manufacturer of humanoid robots in China fell by 11% on Thursday, just one day after soaring nearly sixfold during its debut stock market moment. This reflects strong investor interest in the emerging sector, which enjoys significant support from Beijing.
"We are moving towards a 'ChatGPT moment' in embodied intelligence," noted Wang Xinsin, founder and CEO of the Hangzhou-based startup, speaking at a major robotics conference in Beijing. He compared this to the global AI boom that began in late 2022 due to the breakthrough of ChatGPT in large language models, which served as a turning point stimulating mass adoption.
However, an analogous breakthrough has not yet appeared for global models—physical systems simulating AI designed to help robots understand and navigate real-world environments. Wang reported that the industry is nearing a breakthrough where robots can perform most tasks in unfamiliar conditions based on simple voice or text commands.
He expressed hope that in the future, a robot could be introduced into an unknown home and successfully complete about 80% of tasks using voice or text instructions, calling this a critical turning point for the robotics industry capable of triggering explosive growth.
Unitree Growth
Nevertheless, Wang warned that a significant leap in robot software could occur within two to three years under an optimistic scenario, or no later than five to ten years. Georg Stieler, head of automation at the consulting firm Stieler, noted that Wang Xinsin was quite reserved regarding current capabilities, despite the atmosphere surrounding the World Robotics Conference and Unitree's impressive IPO.
According to industry data, Unitree is the world's largest producer of robot dogs and the second-largest supplier of humanoid robots. The company gained recognition through elaborately staged performances by its robots dancing and performing kung fu, which were shown on Chinese television, and is increasingly implementing its machines in real-world industrial settings. The IPO prospectus indicates that the main clients are universities and research institutions.
Wang He, founder of the Chinese robotics startup Galbot, expects the 'ChatGPT moment' in the sector to arrive by 2028. He defines this moment as the point when robots can perform approximately 70–80% of daily tasks without specialized training. He added that with continued data accumulation and technological breakthroughs, the 'ChatGPT moment' for embodied intelligence is expected by 2028.
Wang from Unitree stated that the company's largest current investment in terms of capital and workforce is directed toward global models, while the company "lags behind" in the practical application of physical AI models. He also pointed out that humanoids are not yet sophisticated enough for mass deployment, naming limitations in AI models governing robot decision-making and interaction as the biggest obstacle in the industry. Nevertheless, Wang predicts that the sector will enter a decade of rapid autonomous development of humanoid robots as the AI boom and the self-improvement of AI language models accelerate.
According to a report by the Chinese industry body for humanoid robots, China supplied over 40,000 humanoids in the first half of this year, accounting for 97% of global humanoid robot shipments. Beijing is betting that robots will eventually replace human labor in routine, low-paid, and dangerous conditions amid declining workforce due to demographic decline.
US-China Military Competition
Although humanoids are gradually being implemented on factory lines and in logistics warehouses, they remain less efficient than humans in most applications. Humanoid robots have also become a new front in the technological competition between the US and China. Last month, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission banned the import of future foreign-made humanoid and quadruped robots, citing national security concerns, which dealt a serious blow to Chinese manufacturers.