Latest news with #artificialwomb
Al Bawaba
3 days ago
- Science
- Al Bawaba
Birth Machine? Robot designed to carry and give birth sparks ethical debate
Published August 19th, 2025 - 07:01 GMT ALBAWABA - Scientists unveiled the world's first robot that can carry life and process as a woman's womb in terms of pregnancy and giving birth, igniting wide ethical debate on social media. A huge fuss erupted following the uncovering of the first robot with an artificial womb, which is able to carry and give birth. According to the media, the robot is able to carry a fetus for 10 months in an artificial amniotic fluid environment and feed it through a tube that simulates the umbilical cord. The new tech robot was created and developed by the Chinese company "Kaiwa Technology" and it has sparked widespread controversy in scientific and ethical circles. Sci-fi has become reality. A Chinese company plans to launch the world's first artificial womb using a humanoid robot, helping babies from conception to birth. The prototype will be available next year for $13,000. — CyberRobo (@CyberRobooo) August 18, 2025 The company announced earlier the development of the world's first robot equipped with an artificial womb, capable of completing pregnancy and childbirth on behalf of women. The price of the new robot will be below 100,000 yuan ($13,900). An X user slammed the new robot by saying, "This will not work well, we haven't even fully begun to understand all the biological processes and requirements for proper gestation. We're only now finding out how C sections affect a childs immune system. I can only imagine the kinds of issues children will have when born from these prototypes." Another person commented, "A fascinating development. What are the ethical implications of outsourcing parenthood to technology?" A netizen mockingly said, "Great, Earth needs yet another 8 billion humans for sure." © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Independent Singapore
4 days ago
- Science
- Independent Singapore
World's first humanoid pregnancy robot with artificial womb worth under RMB100K led by NTU-affiliated Kaiwa Technology founder to launch in 2026
Photo: Freepik/valeria_aksakova (for illustration purposes only) BEIJING: The world's first humanoid pregnancy robot with an artificial womb is expected to be launched next year by Chinese technology firm Kaiwa Technology at just under RMB100,000 (S$17,854). The project, led by its founder Dr Zhang Qifeng, an academic at Nanyang Technological University, was presented at the 2025 World Robot Conference in Beijing, as reported by Dimsum Daily . The humanoid robot is designed to replicate a full-term pregnancy from conception to delivery through an artificial womb filled with artificial amniotic fluid. A tube will be used to supply nutrients to the foetus, mimicking the function of the placenta. Dr Zhang said the artificial womb technology has already been refined in laboratory settings, with the next step being its integration into the humanoid robot—a prototype expected within a year. The project builds on earlier experiments, including the success in 2017 at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where a premature lamb was successfully nurtured in a transparent 'biobag' filled with artificial amniotic fluid. The lamb developed normally, including growing wool within weeks. See also President Tharman: AI will help ease talent shortage While the robot could provide an alternative for infertile couples or those looking to avoid the physical demands of pregnancy, it has raised ethical and legal discussions. Dr Zhang noted that consultations with authorities in Guangdong Province have begun, and policy drafts are in preparation to address societal concerns. Currently, artificial wombs function as neonatal incubators that support life only after partial gestation. An AI-powered breeding robot from the Chinese Academy of Sciences that uses gene editing and 'speed breeding' techniques to improve crop yields was also presented at the conference. /TISG Read also: Singapore ranks 2nd worldwide in AI readiness but falls behind in AI innovation () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
