China is preparing for a world where humanoid robots work among us.
The country is throwing serious weight behind bipedal robots; not just in labs but in offices and in factories.
The push for humanoid robots
According to a new Morgan Stanley report, China is very likely to push for downstream adoption of humanoid robotics in the second half of 2025.
Morgan Stanley’s Head of Industrials Research, Sheng Zhong says the “an adoption push is very likely for China,” adding it could “strengthen market sentiment”.
That means shifting from funding R&D to actually getting robots out into the world and into the hands of end users. The key motivator? Data.
WATCH: Cocky humanoid robots
Bipedal and humanoid robots (the ones that walk, talk, and mimic us) require vast amounts of real-world data to become useful.
And the fastest way to train them isn’t just tinkering in a lab. It’s deploying them in the field.
Humanoid robot rebate
Getting robots to do things in actual work settings speeds up the feedback loop, giving developers a goldmine of behavioral data to improve functionality and success rates.
So what’s coming? Subsidies.
The report suggests China could roll out end-user incentives, essentially paying businesses to adopt bots faster. Think of it as a robot rebate.
LISTEN: The Rise of the Humanoid Robots
Big deals are already landing.
Shenzhen-based UBTech Robotics just scored a ¥90 million (R10.7 million/US$12.5 million) order from state-owned MiEE Automotive Technology. It’s the largest purchase in humanoid robot history so far.
Meanwhile, two other start-ups, AgiBot and Unitree Robotics, locked down a combined ¥124 million (R14.8 million) order from China Mobile.
The race, the risks
While China barrels ahead, ethical debates elsewhere are still stuck in committee meetings.
In the UK and the US, humanoid robotics remain largely in the pilot or showroom stage. Investment exists but it’s often tangled in red tape, PR-friendly showcases, or long-winded ethical reviews.
In short: the West is cautious. China is not.
Shenzhen-based company UBTech Robotics recently showcased Walker S2; a bipedal robot capable of changing it’s own batteries. No human intervention needed!
Zhong explains: “It is becoming apparent that national support for ‘embodied AI’ may be far greater in China than in any other nation, driving continued innovation and capital formation.
Humanoid robots in the real world
That speed gap is both impressive and alarming. Pushing humanoid bots into real-world roles at scale raises thorny questions.
- What happens when robots replace human labour, especially in economies still battling unemployment?
- Who’s liable when a humanoid makes a mistake on the job?
- What kind of surveillance powers will these bots carry?
And let’s not ignore the elephant in the server room: privacy.
Real-world deployment = real-world data, which means more surveillance, more risk of abuse, and more blurred lines between workplace automation and mass monitoring.
US falling behind
China’s aggressive approach could fast-track innovation. But it could just as easily bulldoze over regulation, safety standards, and public trust.
In the West, governments are talking about “ethical AI frameworks” while China is mass-producing the bots that will one day serve your coffee. And maybe log your facial expression while doing it.
Zhong says there are “some leading US players in humanoid design and development at this stage, but China could catch up when humanoids reach downstream application and mass production, riding on its strong self-sufficient supply chain.”
We’re witnessing a global arms race for influence, control, and the future of human-machine coexistence.
