Humanoids Will Soon Be Available in the Market

Advanced humanoids like the Chinese-made robots with eerily lifelike capabilities are expected to enter the global market sooner than expected. However, some US lawmakers are already demanding that they be banned in the country, The Post has reported.

While not yet widely publicized, various Chinese companies have begun producing humanoid robots that are capable of carrying boxes, moving at high speeds and even replicating human facial expressions.

One leading Chinese firm, Unitree Robotics, has developed a US$ 90,000 robot capable of running at speeds of up to 11 mph. A cheaper US$ 16,000 version can absorb punches and kicks and twirl a baton. Many other firms have similar products under development.

Jacob Helberg — a member of the influential US-China Economic and Security Review Commission who played a key role convincing Congress to pass a law this spring to force a sale or ban of TikTok — is one of the loudest voices warning Congress that it risks disaster if it allows the sale of robots made by firms beholden to Beijing.

Helberg said advancements in humanoid technology have occurred "mind-bogglingly fast."

"I think we’re 12 months away from a ChatGPT moment where the world goes from being asleep to awake on this issue," he added.

Some experts see the warning as far-fetched or even silly. Paul Rosenzweig, a former Homeland Security deputy assistant secretary, said scary humanoid robots "are a long way away."

"There are lots of things in China to worry about, like our competition in AI and their access to American tech and data…But this kind of stuff is just a distraction from much more significant problems," Rosenzweig said.

Elsewhere, humanoids manufactured by Figure, a startup backed by ChatGPT creator OpenAI, have been put to work on automaker BMW’s assembly line.

Elon Musk, who is known for making bold proclamations about his businesses, claimed earlier this year that Optimus could drive Tesla’s market cap to a whopping US$ 25 trillion over time.

The billionaire recently said Tesla will have "genuinely useful" humanoids ready for internal use by next year and on sale for other companies by 2026.