China Says Humanoid Robots Will Support, Not Replace, Human Workers
- tech360.tv
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Humanoid robots will not replace human workers or lead to mass unemployment, a Beijing official said, as China rapidly expands its robotics sector with strong state support.
Liang Liang, deputy director at the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, said on Friday that humanoid robots are intended to boost productivity and perform dangerous tasks, not take over human jobs.
“We don’t believe robots will make people unemployed,” Liang said. “They’ll boost efficiency or take on tasks humans are unwilling to do—like exploring the vast universe or the ocean depths where people can’t go.”
Liang added that robots could continue working at night while humans rest, helping to produce better, cheaper, and more user-friendly products.
He spoke at the headquarters of X-Humanoid, also known as the Beijing Humanoid Robotics Innovation Centre, where the robot Tiangong Ultra recently won the world’s first robot half-marathon.
The event, held last month in Beijing, was designed to show how robots and humans can coexist. The race featured two tracks: one for human runners and another for 20 robot teams, each operating machines of varying sizes and abilities.
“You see, in the marathon, humans have their track where they push their physical limits, and the machines have their own track where they jointly challenge their limits - but they aren't trying to take over the human course to sprint to the finish line. The future will be like this too,” Liang said.
Besides the sports-focused Ultra model, which can reach speeds of 12 kph, the centre also showcased prototypes designed to complete routine tasks in changing environments.
In one demonstration, a robot repeatedly adapted to interference as an employee moved or removed a piece of litter. The robot successfully completed the task each time, showing a self-corrective ability that developers say is essential for future productivity.
China says humanoid robots will not cause mass unemployment
Robots are intended to boost efficiency and perform dangerous tasks
Beijing hosted the world’s first robot half-marathon to show human-robot coexistence
Source: REUTERS