Chinese humanoid robots break human records at Beijing's robot games | AP News
Read More ByACHMAD IBRAHIM and CHAN HO-HIM Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]Updated 4:16 PM UTC, August 22, 2026 Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.
Key takeaways
- Humanoid robotics is dominating headlines this month as China’s Unitree Robotics celebrated a blockbuster Shanghai IPO that sent its shares soaring more than 460 % above the offer price, while its founder warned that a “ChatGPT moment” for humanoid robots—where they can generalize across tasks and execute precise movements—may still be a decade away.
- The company’s newest “Superman” robot captured global attention at the 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, where it sprinted 12.66 metres per second—faster than Usain Bolt’s record pace—and jumped over six feet, setting new benchmarks for speed and agility.
- More than 2,000 robots from 16 countries competed across 51 events, including soccer matches, kickboxing demos and high‑jump challenges, underscoring rapid progress but also highlighting that many robots remain more suited to spectacle than practical work.
- Federal Communications Commission has imposed a ban on new imports of foreign‑made humanoid and quadruped robots, citing national‑security concerns, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from Beijing.
- Industry analysts note that despite these technical feats, humanoids still lag humans in efficiency and learning speed, and Chinese firms such as UBTECH are pushing into emotional‑care applications with lifelike faces, though their market viability remains uncertain.
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ByACHMAD IBRAHIM and CHAN HO-HIM
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]Updated 4:16 PM UTC, August 22, 2026
Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share
— Chinese humanoid robots broke records set by humans, including beating Usain Bolt’s 100-meter sprint world record, on the opening day of the Olympics-like World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Saturday.
More than 2,000 humanoid robots were participating in the event, the organizer said. Last month, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots. The FCC cited national security reasons in a move that targeted China. The Pentagon recently also added Unitree, one of China’s leading humanoid robot makers, to its list of companies that it deemed have ties with the Chinese military. Beijing has hit back at the accusations.
At Saturday’s opening of the robot games, the organizer and robot makers said that Chinese humanoid robots defeated human world records, as hundreds of humanoid robots marched in formation onto the field in a massive display of synchronized coordination. Image 14: Robots are prepared ahead the opening ceremony of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
1 of 5| Robots are prepared ahead the opening ceremony of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
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