170,000 New Industrial Robots Installed in China
Number of Robot-Related Patents About Five Times That of the US
China Tightens Regulations on Robotics Industry Amid Technological Rise
A video showing a Chinese humanoid robot, designed to imitate human actions, kicking a person during a mock training session has sparked controversy. On the 29th, Yonhap News TV reported, citing the Chinese state-run media outlet Global Times, that an accident occurred in which a robot mimicking human movements struck a man's vital area.
The robot in the video was mimicking the movements of the person standing next to it in real time, stepping and throwing punches and kicks. However, when the man training alongside performed a diagonal kick next to the robot, the robot copied the action exactly and struck the man's vital area. SNS
On the 25th, a blogger posted a video on a Chinese video platform showing a sparring session with the 'G1' humanoid robot developed by Chinese robotics company Unitree. In the video, the robot was seen mimicking the movements of the person standing next to it in real time, stepping, and throwing punches and kicks. However, when the man training alongside performed a diagonal kick next to the robot, the robot copied the move exactly and struck the man's vital area. As the man collapsed in pain, the robot also mimicked the action of falling, drawing even more attention to the video. Unitree stated, "The sparring program was developed directly by the blogger," clarifying that "we only supplied the robot hardware." The blogger explained that the accident was due to a technical delay between action recognition and response, and added that in the future, the response time could be reduced to about 0.1 seconds.
The robot in the video was mimicking the movements of the person standing next to it in real time, stepping and throwing punches and kicks. However, when the man training alongside performed a diagonal kick next to the robot, the robot copied the move exactly and struck the man's vital area. SNS
Elon Musk, who is developing Tesla's humanoid robot 'Optimus,' also showed interest in the video by leaving both laughing and crying emojis. Musk had previously responded positively to a video of Chinese singer Wang Leehom's robot backup dancers. China has recently been rapidly expanding its influence in the field of humanoid robots. According to US investment bank Morgan Stanley, over the past five years, the number of humanoid robot-related patents in China is about five times that of the United States, and China also holds an advantage in supply chains and production costs. The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) reported that last year, 170,000 new industrial robots were installed in China, accounting for 57.6% of all new installations worldwide.
As Debate Grows Over Imitative Robots, China Builds Management System Reflecting Socialist Values
Amidst these technological advancements and their spread, the Chinese government is simultaneously tightening regulations on AI. On the 27th, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced the "Interim Measures for the Operation of AI-Based Humanoid Interaction Services." These measures target humanoid AI services that imitate human personalities and interact emotionally with users.
China has recently been rapidly expanding its influence in the field of humanoid robots. Photo by AFP Yonhap News
The draft stipulates that companies providing humanoid AI services must notify users that they are interacting with AI both when logging in and after two hours of continuous use. For minors, guardians must be able to restrict usage time or block certain functions. Notably, the new regulations explicitly incorporate "core socialist values." Any content that threatens national security, damages national honor, criticizes the political system, promotes illegal religious activities, disrupts social order, or generates and distributes violence, gambling, or obscene content is strictly prohibited. Data used for AI training must also embody socialist values and traditional Chinese culture.
The Chinese government has made it mandatory for humanoid AI services with more than 1 million registered users or over 100,000 monthly active users to submit evaluation reports. Bloomberg analyzed this as China both fostering AI as a strategic industry and refining its governance system to maintain security and social stability. Experts say that this robot accident video demonstrates both the potential and risks of the technology, and predict that China will continue to manage the humanoid AI industry by simultaneously pursuing technological advancement and regulatory reinforcement.
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