China's robot makers have mastered the moves. Now comes the race for brains
Funding for embodied AI has surged as Chinese firms race to build robot software that can learn unfamiliar tasks and compete with US labs.
- Amid falling hardware prices, Chinese robot makers are pivoting resources to embodied AI, with manufacturers concluding that "the margin won't come from the hardware but from the brain," said Dermot McGrath, founder of Shanghai-based technology consultancy ZenGen Labs.
- During the first half of 2026, embodied AI companies raised 93.5 billion yuan across 322 deals, a fivefold increase over the previous year, according to data research firm ITjuzi.
- Startups including Spirit and Square have reached valuations of roughly $3 billion, while developers target a performance threshold where robots complete 80% of tasks in unfamiliar environments from spoken instructions.
- Nvidia chip shortages due to US export controls and a squeeze on IPO funding amid regulatory concerns over inflated valuations threaten the sector's ability to scale embodied AI development despite massive capital influx.
- Unitree founder Wang Xingxing predicts a robotics "ChatGPT moment" if GPT-7 releases next year, though robotics consultant Georg Stieler warns commercial reliability for industrial adoption remains "years, not months" away.
10 Articles
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After spectacular hardware developments in recent years, Chinese robotics companies are refocusing their resources on a new area, developing artificial intelligence that will make humanoid robots useful in real work. The machines no longer just follow instructions, but sometimes learn on their own: in one test, a robot that couldn't reach a tall cabinet pushed a box after watching a video of a human and tried to stand on it. Investor sentiment i…
China's robot makers have mastered the moves. Now comes the race for brains
BEIJING — After years of building humanoid robots capable of running, dancing and performing backflips, Chinese companies are pouring resources into a different challenge: developing the AI that could make those machines useful across a wider range of jobs.The shift is fuelling an investment boom in embodied AI, a field focused on software that allows robots to understand their surroundings,...
China’s robot makers have mastered the moves. Now comes the race for brains
By Laurie Chen and Eduardo Baptista BEIJING, Nov 2 (Reuters) - After years of building humanoid robots capable of running, dancing and performing backflips, Chinese companies are pouring resources into a different challenge: developing the AI that coul...
The competition between China and the United States thus moves from the manufacture of humanoid robots to the development of artificial intelligence systems that will allow them to be used effectively in factories, logistics centers and other economic activities. China’s entry accelerates the race for artificial intelligence of robots and challenges the United States with investments for USD 13 billion was first published on Ultima Cable - World…
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