Humanoid robots performed martial arts and intricate dance moves at the annual China Media Group Spring Festival Gala, sparking debate among experts about the true extent of China's robotics capabilities. The robots, developed by several Chinese firms, executed lunges, backflips, spins and jumps without falling, in a display broadcast on China's most-watched television programme.
Kyle Chan, a technology expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, said Beijing uses such performances to 'dazzle domestic and international audiences with China's technological prowess'. He added that humanoid robots are 'highly visible examples of China's technological leadership' that general audiences can see on their phones or televisions, unlike AI models or industrial equipment.
Georg Stieler, head of robotics and automation at Stieler Technology and Marketing, noted the direct pipeline from industrial policy to prime-time spectacle. However, he cautioned that stage performance does not equate to industrial robustness. 'These dance motions involve very little environmental perception and are essentially imitation learning plus a balance-keeping controller,' he said, adding that the robots were trained for their routine 'hundreds or thousands of times' and cannot easily adapt to new tasks.
By the end of 2024, China had registered 451,700 smart robotics companies with total capital of 6.44 trillion yuan (approximately $932.16 billion), according to state data. Elon Musk has predicted that Chinese companies will be his biggest competitor as Tesla focuses on humanoid robots, stating that 'China is an ass-kicker next level'. Marina Zhang, a technology professor at the University of Technology Sydney, said the showcase likely signals a shift from low-cost assembly to high-end smart manufacturing.
