AKTUELLT JUST NU

U.S. tech giants are betting big on humanoid robots — but China’s already ahead, analysts say

American tech companies are racing to usher in the development of humanoid robots, stressing their importance to the future economy. But analysts warn they are already at risk of losing out to competitors in China.

So-called humanoid robots — artificial intelligence-powered machines designed to resemble humans in appearance and movement — are expected to provide a range of use cases, such as filling industrial and service sector jobs.  

Investor excitement surrounding the robots has been mounting amid increased mentions from tech leaders like Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, who ushered in “the age of generalist robotics” earlier this month as he announced a new portfolio of technologies for humanoid robot development.

In the manufacturing of the robots themselves, Tesla’s humanoid robot project, Optimus, appears to be leading in the U.S., with CEO Elon Musk announcing plans to produce about 5,000 units this year.

While Musk’s ambitious plans could give it a leg up on U.S. competitors like Apptronik and Boston Dynamics that are yet to hit the mass market, he will face stiff competition from a familiar source: China.