Latest news with #ZhangQifeng
Economic Times
7 hours ago
- Science
- Economic Times
Game-changer for parents? Pregnancy robots could make infertility a thing of the past
Agencies Representative AI Image Technology is moving faster than ever, and with each new step, it makes us question what we think is possible. Researchers in China are now working on an amazing new idea: robots that can carry babies. If this works, it could change how couples around the world get fertility treatments. The idea of "pregnancy robots," which are humanoids made to carry human babies in fake wombs, is the newest thing to spark a global debate. This amazing new idea is being worked on in China right now, and it could change everything for couples who are having trouble getting pregnant, according to a report by The New York Post. ALSO READ: iPhone 17 leak: Apple to hike prices $50 on pro models, regular model spared — here's what you will pay Dr. Zhang Qifeng, who started Kaiwa Technology in Guangzhou, came up with the idea. The idea is to put a fully developed artificial womb inside a humanoid robot. People already think that the design of the artificial womb is very advanced. It would get nutrients through a hose that was connected to the robot's abdomen. In theory, a fertilized egg could be put inside, and the fetus would grow just like it would in a normal pregnancy, taking nine to ten months to reach full term, according to a report by The New York Post. Dr. Qifeng told local media that the science behind the artificial womb is ready, but the next step is to combine it with robotics so that the process of pregnancy can happen inside a machine. Next year, the first prototype should be ready. One of the best things about pregnancy robots is that they are cheap. It is expected that hiring a humanoid surrogate will cost about 100,000 yuan ($13,927). In the US, where prices for traditional surrogacy range from $100,000 to $200,000, this is only a small part of the cost. This could be a much easier option for many couples who are having trouble getting pregnant or can't afford to hire a surrogate, according to a report by The New York project has already gotten a lot of attention from people all over the world because it would be the first time that technology goes from helping with pregnancy (like IVF) to actually carrying and giving birth to a baby. If it works, it could change how people around the world treat infertility. There will always be moral and legal questions about new technologies. How would fertilization and moving the embryo work in real life? How would a robot "give birth"? And maybe most importantly, how do we control a machine's role in making people?Dr. Qifeng said that many questions still need to be answered, but talks are already going on. To calm people's nerves, officials in Guangdong Province have held forums and are looking over policy proposals. People are worried about everything from the psychological effects of being born from a robot to how the technology might be misused, according to a report by The New York Post. ALSO READ: Orca attack mystery: What really happened to marine trainer Jessica Radcliffe What will the price of pregnancy robots be?About 100,000 yuan ($13,927), which is a lot less than hiring a surrogate. When will the first model be shown to the public? The first model is set for next year.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Game-changer for parents? Pregnancy robots could make infertility a thing of the past
Technology is moving faster than ever, and with each new step, it makes us question what we think is possible. Researchers in China are now working on an amazing new idea: robots that can carry babies. If this works, it could change how couples around the world get fertility treatments. The idea of " pregnancy robots ," which are humanoids made to carry human babies in fake wombs, is the newest thing to spark a global debate. This amazing new idea is being worked on in China right now, and it could change everything for couples who are having trouble getting pregnant, according to a report by The New York Post. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Join new Free to Play WWII MMO War Thunder War Thunder Play Now Undo ALSO READ : iPhone 17 leak: Apple to hike prices $50 on pro models, regular model spared — here's what you will pay How will robots for pregnancy really work? Dr. Zhang Qifeng , who started Kaiwa Technology in Guangzhou, came up with the idea. The idea is to put a fully developed artificial womb inside a humanoid robot. People already think that the design of the artificial womb is very advanced. It would get nutrients through a hose that was connected to the robot's abdomen. In theory, a fertilized egg could be put inside, and the fetus would grow just like it would in a normal pregnancy, taking nine to ten months to reach full term, according to a report by The New York Post. Live Events Dr. Qifeng told local media that the science behind the artificial womb is ready, but the next step is to combine it with robotics so that the process of pregnancy can happen inside a machine. Next year, the first prototype should be ready. Could this replace traditional surrogacy? One of the best things about pregnancy robots is that they are cheap. It is expected that hiring a humanoid surrogate will cost about 100,000 yuan ($13,927). In the US, where prices for traditional surrogacy range from $100,000 to $200,000, this is only a small part of the cost. This could be a much easier option for many couples who are having trouble getting pregnant or can't afford to hire a surrogate, according to a report by The New York Post. The project has already gotten a lot of attention from people all over the world because it would be the first time that technology goes from helping with pregnancy (like IVF) to actually carrying and giving birth to a baby. If it works, it could change how people around the world treat infertility. What moral problems does this bring up? There will always be moral and legal questions about new technologies. How would fertilization and moving the embryo work in real life? How would a robot "give birth"? And maybe most importantly, how do we control a machine's role in making people? Dr. Qifeng said that many questions still need to be answered, but talks are already going on. To calm people's nerves, officials in Guangdong Province have held forums and are looking over policy proposals. People are worried about everything from the psychological effects of being born from a robot to how the technology might be misused, according to a report by The New York Post. ALSO READ : Orca attack mystery: What really happened to marine trainer Jessica Radcliffe FAQs What will the price of pregnancy robots be? About 100,000 yuan ($13,927), which is a lot less than hiring a surrogate. When will the first model be shown to the public? The first model is set for next year.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
‘Pregnancy robots' could give birth to human children in revolutionary breakthrough — and a game-changer for infertile couples
There's a robot for that. What a time to be alive — people are marrying AI bots, and now robots might soon be able to carry babies. Reportedly, China is working on designing a bot with an artificial womb — which will receive nutrients through a hose — in its abdomen that will soon be able to carry a fetus for approximately 10 months before giving birth, according to Chosun Biz. The 'pregnancy robot' was conceptualized by Dr. Zhang Qifeng, founder of Kaiwa Technology, which is based in Guangzhou — a city in China. If all goes according to plan, the prototype will make its debut next year. For those struggling to conceive, hiring a humanoid to carry their baby will cost 100,000 yuan, $13,927.09 — a price significantly less than a human surrogate, which can cost someone in the US anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000. 'The artificial womb technology is already in a mature stage, and now it needs to be implanted in the robot's abdomen so that a real person and the robot can interact to achieve pregnancy, allowing the fetus to grow inside,' Qifeng told Chosun Biz. Many questions are still unanswered at this time, including how the egg and sperm will be fertilized and inserted into the womb and how the bot will give birth. Obviously, with this sort of technology comes a lot of questions and concerns regarding ethical and legal issues. 'We have held discussion forums with authorities in Guangdong Province and submitted related proposals while discussing policy and legislation,' the doctor said, addressing people's uneasiness towards this. Speaking of freaky bots — a humanoid was spotted walking around Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan earlier this month, doing everything from grabbing a hot dog to trying on sneakers. The intent behind this shocking scene of the KOID-branded bot acting like a human New Yorker was to promote global asset management firm KraneShares's Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, which came out earlier this summer. 'I feel like I was witnessing firsthand . . . the first lightbulb or the first car,' said Joseph Dube, head of marketing at KraneShares. 'People were amazed. Some people were terrified. It was a major mixed bag of reactions.' Solve the daily Crossword
Economic Times
12 hours ago
- Health
- Economic Times
Rs 12 lakh for a birth without women? China's new 'pregnancy robot' is set to replace the human womb by 2026
Agencies Representative AI Image In a few short years, China may unveil something no one has seen before: a humanoid robot that can get pregnant. Not in the biological sense, but by hosting a fully functioning artificial womb. The work is happening at Kaiwa Technology in Guangzhou. At the World Robot Conference in Beijing, project lead Dr Zhang Qifeng declared that the science is already there. The next step, he said, is putting it inside a robot's body so that 'a real person and the robot can interact to achieve pregnancy, allowing the foetus to grow inside.' The womb itself isn't science fiction. It's a machine that mimics the uterus, with artificial amniotic fluid and a tube acting as the umbilical cord to deliver nutrients and oxygen. In 2017, US scientists managed to keep premature lambs alive for weeks in similar 'biobags.'What's different here is ambition. Dr Zhang's team wants the robot to take the foetus from fertilisation all the way to birth. And unlike human surrogacy, which can cost many times more, they're pitching a price of about 100,000 yuan (£11,000).Infertility is rising fast in China. In 2007, it affected just under 12 percent of couples. By 2020, it had climbed to 18 percent. For millions, IVF cycles and artificial insemination end in disappointment. On Chinese social media, one commenter welcomed the robot, saying: 'Many families pay significant expenses for artificial insemination only to fail. The pregnancy robot contributes to society.' But not everyone sees this as salvation. Critics warn that outsourcing pregnancy to machines could fracture maternal bonds or distort how society views parenthood. Feminist thinker Andrea Dworkin once argued that artificial wombs could mark 'the end of women.'Medical voices are uneasy too. Researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia wrote in 2022 that artificial wombs risk turning pregnancy into a pathology, a condition to be managed, not a natural process to be science is racing ahead of the law. Officials in Guangdong Province have already started talking with Kaiwa Technology about regulation. Among the questions: Who counts as a parent? What rights does a robot-born child have? How do you stop a black market in eggs, sperm, or womb machines?The potential upside is real. Artificial wombs could ease the dangers of pregnancy for women and offer hope to families otherwise shut out of parenthood. Yet the risks are equally clear: commodifying childbirth, undermining human bonds, and shifting reproduction from people to 2026, we may see the first child born not from a mother, but from a machine. Whether that moment is hailed as progress or condemned as dystopia will depend on what kind of society meets it.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
Rs 12 lakh for a birth without women? China's new 'pregnancy robot' is set to replace the human womb by 2026
Chinese researchers are creating the first humanoid robot capable of carrying a pregnancy using an artificial womb. Led by Dr Zhang Qifeng of Kaiwa Technology in Guangzhou, the project aims to replicate the full process of gestation for around 100,000 yuan. Supporters say it could help millions facing infertility. Critics warn it risks erasing natural motherhood and creating ethical and legal challenges. A prototype is expected in 2026, with Chinese authorities already considering policy frameworks. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads How it's supposed to work The pressure behind it Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why it bothers some people? In a few short years, China may unveil something no one has seen before: a humanoid robot that can get pregnant. Not in the biological sense, but by hosting a fully functioning artificial womb The work is happening at Kaiwa Technology in Guangzhou. At the World Robot Conference in Beijing, project lead Dr Zhang Qifeng declared that the science is already there. The next step, he said, is putting it inside a robot's body so that 'a real person and the robot can interact to achieve pregnancy, allowing the foetus to grow inside.'The womb itself isn't science fiction. It's a machine that mimics the uterus, with artificial amniotic fluid and a tube acting as the umbilical cord to deliver nutrients and oxygen. In 2017, US scientists managed to keep premature lambs alive for weeks in similar 'biobags.'What's different here is ambition. Dr Zhang's team wants the robot to take the foetus from fertilisation all the way to birth. And unlike human surrogacy, which can cost many times more, they're pitching a price of about 100,000 yuan (£11,000).Infertility is rising fast in China. In 2007, it affected just under 12 percent of couples. By 2020, it had climbed to 18 percent. For millions, IVF cycles and artificial insemination end in disappointment. On Chinese social media, one commenter welcomed the robot, saying: 'Many families pay significant expenses for artificial insemination only to fail. The pregnancy robot contributes to society.'But not everyone sees this as salvation. Critics warn that outsourcing pregnancy to machines could fracture maternal bonds or distort how society views parenthood. Feminist thinker Andrea Dworkin once argued that artificial wombs could mark 'the end of women.'Medical voices are uneasy too. Researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia wrote in 2022 that artificial wombs risk turning pregnancy into a pathology, a condition to be managed, not a natural process to be science is racing ahead of the law. Officials in Guangdong Province have already started talking with Kaiwa Technology about regulation. Among the questions: Who counts as a parent? What rights does a robot-born child have? How do you stop a black market in eggs, sperm, or womb machines?The potential upside is real. Artificial wombs could ease the dangers of pregnancy for women and offer hope to families otherwise shut out of parenthood. Yet the risks are equally clear: commodifying childbirth, undermining human bonds, and shifting reproduction from people to 2026, we may see the first child born not from a mother, but from a machine. Whether that moment is hailed as progress or condemned as dystopia will depend on what kind of society meets it.
