More than 60 humanoid robots were on display at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, as China moves closer to large-scale commercialization. Robots shown by companies like Keenon Robotics and Fourier Intelligence can perform tasks from bartending to caregiving. The event featured over 800 companies and 3,000 products, highlighting China's lead in embodied intelligence and mass production of humanoid robots.

Driven by advances in generative AI and hardware innovations, Chinese humanoid robots are now transitioning from stage performances to practical industrial and service applications. "Humanoid robots integrate chips, sensors, AI, mechanics and materials," said Xu Xiaolan of the Chinese Institute of Electronics, predicting they will become the next disruptive product after smartphones and EVs.

A new generation of U.S. start-ups is betting they can still compete despite China's head start. But analysts note China's advantages include government support, vast factory floors, and a massive domestic market. As Du Guangda, deputy director of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, stated, the country is poised to move from labs to mass production.