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Kuwait Times
18-05-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
China's humanoid robots will not replace humans
BEIJING: China's humanoid robots will not replace human workers and cause mass unemployment, according to a Chinese official who oversees a tech hub in Beijing, amid a rapid expansion of the sector and state funding for it. Liang Liang, a deputy director at the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, which hosts one of China's largest tech hubs, said in an interview on Friday with foreign media that he does not believe that humanoid robots will replace their human creators, but will boost productivity and operate in hazardous environments. 'We don't believe robots will make people unemployed, but rather they'll boost efficiency or take on tasks humans are unwilling to do - like exploring the vast universe or the ocean depths where people can't go. Machines can assist us in that exploration,' Liang said. 'When it's nighttime and humans need rest, machines could keep working, giving us better, cheaper, and more user-friendly products. So we see this as the direction for our future development,' he added. Liang explained that the world's first robot half-marathon held last month in Beijing was deliberately set up in a way that would highlight his and other officials' hopes that these humanoids will support and assist humans, rather than replace them. The half-marathon featured two tracks separated by a railing, with humans competing against each other on one side while on the other side 20 teams each operated a robot, varying wildly in size and ability. 'You see, in the marathon, humans have their track where they push their physical limits, and the machines have their own track where they jointly challenge their limits - but they aren't trying to take over the human course to sprint to the finish line. The future will be like this too,' Liang said. Liang spoke to reporters at the headquarters of state-backed X-Humanoid, also known as the Beijing Humanoid Robotics Innovation Centre, whose robot Tiangong Ultra won the inaugural robot half-marathon. Besides the sports-focused Ultra model, which can reach a top speed of 12 kph (7.56 mph), the center also displayed other protypes that showed it was working on robots that can complete mundane tasks in the face of obstructions and changing environments. — Reuters In one demonstration, an employee repeatedly moved the position of a piece of litter or snatched it from the robot's hand, which would then relocate the object and carry out the task until it was completed, a self-corrective ability the centre says will be key in turning the humanoids into productive workers. — Reuters
Economic Times
17-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
China's humanoid robots will not replace human workers: Beijing official
A Chinese tech official has dismissed fears that humanoid robots will cause mass unemployment, stating they will enhance productivity and take on dangerous or undesirable tasks. Speaking at Beijing's X-Humanoid Centre, he emphasised that robots are designed to support, not replace, humans, highlighting recent innovations and a symbolic robot half-marathon. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads China's humanoid robots will not replace human workers and cause mass unemployment, according to a Chinese official who oversees a tech hub in Beijing , amid a rapid expansion of the sector and state funding for Liang, a deputy director at the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, which hosts one of China's largest tech hubs, said in an interview on Friday with foreign media that he does not believe that humanoid robots will replace their human creators, but will boost productivity and operate in hazardous environments."We don't believe robots will make people unemployed, but rather they'll boost efficiency or take on tasks humans are unwilling to do - like exploring the vast universe or the ocean depths where people can't go. Machines can assist us in that exploration," Liang said."When it's night time and humans need rest, machines could keep working, giving us better, cheaper, and more user-friendly products. So we see this as the direction for our future development," he explained that the world's first robot half-marathon held last month in Beijing was deliberately set up in a way that would highlight his and other officials' hopes that these humanoids will support and assist humans, rather than replace half-marathon featured two tracks separated by a railing, with humans competing against each other on one side while on the other side 20 teams each operated a robot, varying wildly in size and ability."You see, in the marathon, humans have their track where they push their physical limits, and the machines have their own track where they jointly challenge their limits - but they aren't trying to take over the human course to sprint to the finish line. The future will be like this too," Liang spoke to reporters at the headquarters of state-backed X-Humanoid , also known as the Beijing Humanoid Robotics Innovation Centre, whose robot Tiangong Ultra won the inaugural robot the sports-focused Ultra model, which can reach a top speed of 12 kph (7.56 mph), the centre also displayed other protypes that showed it was working on robots that can complete mundane tasks in the face of obstructions and changing one demonstration, an employee repeatedly moved the position of a piece of litter or snatched it from the robot's hand, which would then relocate the object and carry out the task until it was completed, a self-corrective ability the centre says will be key in turning the humanoids into productive workers.
Straits Times
17-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
China's humanoid robots will not replace human workers, Beijing official says
BEIJING – China's humanoid robots will not replace human workers and cause mass unemployment, according to a Chinese official who oversees a tech hub in Beijing, amid a rapid expansion of the sector and state funding for it. Mr Liang Liang, a deputy director at the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, which hosts one of China's largest tech hubs, said in an interview on May 16 with foreign media that he does not believe that humanoid robots will replace their human creators, but will boost productivity and operate in hazardous environments. 'We don't believe robots will make people unemployed, but rather they'll boost efficiency or take on tasks humans are unwilling to do, like exploring the vast universe or the ocean depths where people can't go. Machines can assist us in that exploration,' Mr Liang said. 'When it's nighttime and humans need rest, machines could keep working, giving us better, cheaper and more user-friendly products. So, we see this as the direction for our future development,' he added. Mr Liang explained that the world's first robot half-marathon held in April in Beijing was deliberately set up in a way that would highlight his and other officials' hopes that these humanoids will support and assist humans, rather than replace them. The half-marathon featured two tracks separated by a railing, with humans competing against each other on one side while on the other side 20 teams each operated a robot, varying wildly in size and ability. 'You see, in the marathon, humans have their track where they push their physical limits, and the machines have their own track where they jointly challenge their limits, but they aren't trying to take over the human course to sprint to the finish line. The future will be like this too,' Mr Liang said. Makers of humanoid robots in China say machines can keep working as humans rest, raising productivity. PHOTO: REUTERS Mr Liang spoke to reporters at the headquarters of state-backed X-Humanoid, also known as the Beijing Humanoid Robotics Innovation Centre, whose robot Tiangong Ultra won the inaugural robot half-marathon. Besides the sports-focused Ultra model, which can reach a top speed of 12kmh, the centre also displayed other prototypes that showed it was working on robots that can complete mundane tasks in the face of obstructions and changing environments. In one demonstration, an employee repeatedly moved the position of a piece of litter or snatched it from the robot's hand, which would then relocate the object and carry out the task until it was completed, a self-corrective ability the centre says will be key in turning the humanoids into productive workers. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Robots and humans will compete with each other in the first humanoid robot half-marathon
Humanoid robots will compete against humans in a half-marathon in Beijing. The event aims to showcase advancements in humanoid robotics and AI. Robots must be humanoid without wheels; both remote-controlled and autonomous entries are allowed. Experienced runners will tell you it takes months to train for a half-marathon, but what if what you're racing against is literally made of steel? On April 13, humanoid robots are set to compete in the first-ever half-marathon featuring both humans and humanoid robots racing against each other in Beijing. The Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, which is hosting the race, announced details for the event on Tuesday. Robots participating in the race will have a roughly three-and-a-half-hour cutoff time to complete the track, Li Quan, deputy head of the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, said at a press conference. The humanoid robots will race against 12,000 human runners, with the top three finishers — human or robot — receiving prizes. Li said participating robots can receive awards in three categories: race completion, best endurance, and most popular robot. The robots running in the race will run in a separate lane. "We hope that this event will not only showcase achievements in the humanoid robotics industry but also spark discussions and deepen the public's understanding of robot capabilities, which will help accelerate industry development," Li said. Humanoid robots are evolving rapidly and becoming a common topic of discussion in the tech world. Some companies like Mercedes-Benz and BMW have partnered with humanoid robot companies to test their robots on factory lines. Last month, Texas-based humanoid robot make Apptronik announced a partnership with a supply chain company to have its humanoid robots eventually build themselves. Robots entering the competition must be humanoid robots that do not use wheels, China's International Center for Science and Technology Innovation said in a release. Both remote-controlled and fully autonomous robots are eligible for entry. Li said at the press conference that participating robot teams can change out their robot's batteries or change their robots out in a relay system. Each time a team changes out a robot, they will receive a ten-minute penalty for the race. Registration for the event opens on March 11, and it is open to companies, research institutions, robot clubs, and universities around the world, the release said. Read the original article on Business Insider
