{"id":23940,"date":"2025-05-13T15:46:08","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T12:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/made-in-china-beijing-eyes-humanoids-to-replace-migrant-labour\/"},"modified":"2025-05-13T15:46:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T12:46:08","slug":"made-in-china-beijing-eyes-humanoids-to-replace-migrant-labour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/made-in-china-beijing-eyes-humanoids-to-replace-migrant-labour\/","title":{"rendered":"Made in China: Beijing eyes humanoids to replace migrant labour"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-keypoints article_keypoints\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In China, dozens of humanoid robots are already working in warehouses.<\/li>\n<li>The state is betting on robotics, allocating funds and procuring machines to spur the industry.<\/li>\n<li>The risk of mass lay-offs persists, though new jobs could offset it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Dozens of humanoid robots, overseen by operators, fold T-shirts, make sandwiches and open doors at a vast warehouse on the outskirts of Shanghai, reports <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/chinas-ai-powered-humanoid-robots-aim-transform-manufacturing-2025-05-13\/\">Reuters<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>The agency spoke with several experts, including Chinese humanoid makers, investors, customers and analysts, to gauge the prospects for and pathways of these metal machines.<\/p>\n<p>According to those interviewed, China aims to extend its lead by focusing on training and refining AI models. Some say the <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/deepseek-the-new-ai-front-runner-and-culprit-behind-cryptos-sell-off\">breakthrough<\/a> by DeepSeek helped materially.<\/p>\n<p>Mass deployment of robots on factory floors would not only sustain China\u2019s economic growth but also reinforce its manufacturing leadership, turning it into a theatre of direct competition with the United States, the agency notes.<\/p>\n<p>How Beijing will handle the risk of mass lay-offs in factories remains unclear. As with earlier industrial revolutions, the creation of new jobs is expected to help absorb the shock.<\/p>\n<p>Amid a trade war with America, a shrinking population and slowing growth, President Xi Jinping underscored the importance of humanoid robots during an inspection of AgiBot machines in Shanghai.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-qw.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXfQjPiR_bXSVoStqYwE8zgPf6nvh8FAb3V8xQaeVwMIfa_neIek_WoDO2DLXZqymWpFT0QpgIA3cnPqgQrTaIDZ86czh7KlzQexOYlQXuCOxy_PSx2yYTtyuxOec8aOTUAFtfpN?key=0KVBwEnKVDGJPOeaDX_3uA\" alt=\"Made in China: Beijing eyes humanoids to replace migrant labour\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The humanoid robot CASBOT 01 moves its arms during a demonstration for Reuters at Zhongke Huiling Robotics\u2019 lab in Beijing. Data: Reuters.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The country is pushing for a new industrial revolution in which bots will carry out many factory tasks. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Imagine that one day, on our own factory floor, robots will assemble themselves,&#8221; said AgiBot partner Yao Maoqing.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>State support<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Chinese authorities are doling out generous subsidies to humanoid makers. Over the past year more than $20bn has been directed to the sector. Meanwhile Beijing is creating a $137bn fund to support AI and robotics startups.<\/p>\n<p>Reuters analysed hundreds of tender documents and found that the government is also a key buyer. <\/p>\n<p>Other support includes a newly created artificial-intelligence and robotics fund by the city of Shenzhen. <\/p>\n<p>Humanoid manufacturers and component suppliers in Wuhan are eligible for subsidies of up to 5m yuan after hitting procurement and sales thresholds.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023 Beijing\u2019s municipal authorities created a robotics fund that offers up to 30m yuan to companies looking to speed the development of their first products.<\/p>\n<p>Some analysts suggest humanoid robots could follow the trajectory of electric vehicles, whose costs fell sharply over the past decade thanks to state support and mass adoption.<\/p>\n<p>The average bill of materials for a humanoid will be $35,000 by year-end, potentially dropping to $17,000 by 2030 if most parts are made domestically, according to a note by Ming Hsun Lee, head of Greater China autos and industrial research at Bank of America Securities.<\/p>\n<p>Three Chinese humanoid makers offered a similar forecast: a halving of unit costs within a year. For comparison, components for Tesla\u2019s Optimus are $50,000\u201360,000 owing to key supplies from China. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Thanks to its extensive supply chain, China has an advantage in markedly lowering the cost of producing humanoid robots,&#8221; Lee noted. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>He added that by 2030 global sales of bots could reach 1m units a year.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>AI and data<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Reuters also noted the Chinese government\u2019s investments in data collection. <\/p>\n<p>Robots must interact with the physical world and train on task-oriented datasets for chores such as folding boxes or pouring water into a cup. <\/p>\n<p>In 2024 Shanghai authorities helped set up AgiBot\u2019s data-gathering site. They provided premises free of charge, where about 100 robots work daily under the supervision of 200 people. <\/p>\n<p>The facility yields high-quality data. Parallel sites are being built by the governments of Beijing and Shenzhen.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-qw.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXc-Bo-eonf0aZgSO4eHBph9sQ3P2oCRT8DH2SaWyC9UQgKonpRHR53IRsBfK78vTdI6PH68mbHCTV63R24_7d7W8L7aqbZnVYaOJ8Q9THkbARFZBy7cnSKfIHU7IA5AF3BNozF6qg?key=0KVBwEnKVDGJPOeaDX_3uA\" alt=\"Made in China: Beijing eyes humanoids to replace migrant labour\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">AgiBot staff in Shanghai test robots at a factory in Shanghai. Data: Reuters.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Humanoid startup MagicLab said its focus on the robots\u2019 \u201cbrain\u201d has enabled the rollout of prototypes on production lines for tasks such as quality inspection, materials handling and assembly.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;These breakthroughs lay the groundwork for us to focus on real-world applications in 2025. DeepSeek helped with problem-solving and comprehension, advancing the &#8216;brain&#8217; of our robots,&#8221; said CEO Wu Changzheng.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>China\u2019s clearest edge, however, is its dominance in the hardware that makes up a humanoid. Analysts and startups say the country can produce up to 90% of the components, lowering barriers to entry.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;If you have an order in the morning, suppliers can come to your company with materials or products by the afternoon, or you can go straight to their site,&#8221; said Zhang Miao, COO of Beijing startup CASBOT.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Jobs at risk<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>According to the National Bureau of Statistics, about 123m people worked in manufacturing in China in 2023. Social-security expert Zheng Gongcheng warned that the development of robots and AI will affect around 70% of the manufacturing sector, which could sharply reduce contributions to the social-security fund.<\/p>\n<p>Tang Jiang, chief technologist at the government-backed Beijing Innovation Center for Human-like Robotics, said his prototypes target work people do not want to do because it is monotonous or repetitive. <\/p>\n<p>Despite concerns about employment, Beijing sees the technology as key to easing labour shortages in fields such as elderly care, where the problem is worsening as the population ages.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;In five or ten years, robots will be able to tidy an elderly person\u2019s room, pick up a package or even carry them from the bed to the toilet,&#8221; said AgiBot\u2019s Maoqing.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The OS problem<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Unitree Robotics founder and chief executive Wang Xinxin <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/tech\/article\/3309993\/chinas-humanoid-robot-makers-lack-unified-end-end-ai-system-unitree-ceo-says?module=top_story&#038;pgtype=section\">said<\/a> the biggest problem facing Chinese humanoid makers is the lack of a mature, unified end-to-end AI system.<\/p>\n<p>In 2025 the sector is shifting to mass production. Those who achieve a breakthrough in technology that lets robots perform general tasks without launching separate programs for specific actions will become the strongest players in robotics, Wang noted. <\/p>\n<p>Six of 11 domestic humanoid makers have planned to ship more than 1,000 units in 2025. Many startups are experiencing \u201cpowerful growth momentum\u201d and are \u201cswamped with orders,\u201d Wang said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Huawei and UBTech team up<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Meanwhile Huawei <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/tech\/tech-trends\/article\/3310039\/shenzhen-based-huawei-ubtech-join-forces-bring-humanoid-robots-factories-and-homes?module=top_story&#038;pgtype=section\">struck<\/a> a partnership with UBTech Robotics to develop humanoids for factories and households. It aims to \u201caccelerate the transition of robots from laboratory innovation\u201d to \u201clarge-scale deployment in industrial, household and other scenarios\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Both companies plan to collaborate on building \u201csmart\u201d factories with bots and on developing bipedal or wheeled service robots for home use.<\/p>\n<p>As part of the agreement Huawei will also help UBTech build an innovation centre focused on \u201cembodied intelligence\u201d \u2014 a form of artificial intelligence in which cognitive processes are embedded in the human body.<\/p>\n<p>In April, 21 humanoid robots <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/robots-join-humans-in-beijing-half-marathon\">took part in the Beijing half-marathon<\/a>. Not all bots reached the finish; some struggled right from the start.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In China, dozens of humanoid robots are already working in warehouses. The state is betting on robotics, allocating funds and procuring machines to spur the industry. The risk of mass lay-offs persists, though new jobs could offset it. Dozens of humanoid robots, overseen by operators, fold T-shirts, make sandwiches and open doors at a vast [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23939,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"select":"","news_style_id":"","cryptorium_level":"","_short_excerpt_text":"","creation_source":"","_metatest_mainpost_news_update":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[438,133,1150,652],"class_list":["post-23940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-china","tag-news-plus","tag-robots"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"views":"38","promo_type":"","layout_type":"","short_excerpt":"","is_update":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23940\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}