Latest news with #YangQingqing
India Today
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
China enrols robot in theatre PhD, sparks debate on art and AI
The first for China, and possibly the world, a humanoid robot has been admitted to a PhD programme in Drama and Film. Named Xueba 01, the robot will pursue doctoral studies at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, focusing on traditional Chinese announcement was made during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July jointly by the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and DroidUp Robotics, Xueba 01 is designed to interact with humans both verbally and It speaks fluent Mandarin, stands at 1.75 metres tall, weighs 30 kilograms, and is built with silicone skin to mimic facial is a Chinese slang term used to describe a high-performing student. The name seems robot will train under Professor Yang Qingqing, a noted figure in Chinese performing arts. Its coursework includes stage performance, scriptwriting, set design, motion control, and language a rehearsal earlier this year, the robot replicated a famous hand gesture, called the 'orchid fingers', from Peking opera legend Mei Yang noted that human students in the room unconsciously mimicked the robot's movement. She described it as a form of 'aesthetic exchange,' not a human-vs-machine moment. Image: X While it's easy to focus on the machine's hardware or code, the Shanghai Theatre Academy seems more interested in what happens when technology enters a traditionally human space, live robot refers to itself as an 'AI artist' and has expressed a desire to collaborate with classmates, share script ideas, and even provide white noise for it completes the four-year programme, Xueba 01 could become a museum-based opera director, or even start an AI art the development hasn't gone on Chinese social media have raised concerns about priorities. They ask if funding this robotic student might take resources away from real human candidates, some of whom earn less than 3,000 yuan (US$420) question whether a machine, regardless of how refined, can grasp the emotional layers required in live the experiment has sparked widespread interest. Earlier, an older version of Xueba 01 completed a half-marathon in humanoid form and placed third. This step into the world of performance and storytelling, however, may be its boldest move many, the real story isn't about a robot earning a degree. It's about what happens when learning, art, and machines begin to share the same stage.- Ends
NDTV
01-08-2025
- Science
- NDTV
'Robots Replacing Students?': China's First AI Robot Joins PhD Programme
Human-level artificial intelligence (AI), popularly referred to as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) may or may not be near, but China's humanoid robots are not leaving anything to chance. Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) has accepted an AI robot named Xueba 01 into its four-year PhD programme in Drama and Film, making it the first time a humanoid machine has been granted full doctoral-candidate status. The robot named Xueba 01 has been developed by the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology in partnership with DroidUp Robotics, according to a report in South China Morning Post. STA accepted the robot's application last Sunday (Jul 27) during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference. Xueba 01 will be pursuing a four-year doctorate in Drama and Film, focusing on traditional Chinese opera. It has already been given a virtual student ID, and his mentor will be renowned Shanghai artist and professor Yang Qingqing. The humanoid robot, having the face of a handsome adult male, with detailed facial expressions, owing to its silicone skin, is expected to make an appearance on the campus on September 14. After reporting to the college authorities, Xueba 01 will attend classes, rehearse operas with other PhD students, and complete a final dissertation. It will also study artistic subjects like stage performance, scriptwriting, and set design, as well as technical topics such as motion control and language generation. Standing 1.75m tall and weighing about 30kg, Xueba 01 can physically interact with people, with its previous iteration winning third place in the world's first humanoid half-marathon. 'AI can't move people' As the news of an AI robot joining the PhD programme went viral, a section of social media users expressed scepticism at the development. "Now robots are replacing students," wrote one user, while another added: "Art needs life experience. A robot's algorithm-driven creations cannot truly move people."
